


Cold Blooded

by Tiran_Pejuang



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Drama, Elite Hitsquad, F/M, Gun Violence, Humor, Minor Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Political Intrigue, REPTILES, Romance, Specism, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-03-12 02:05:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13537389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiran_Pejuang/pseuds/Tiran_Pejuang
Summary: An ambassador from the nation of Saurrex, home to the vast majority of the planet's reptile population, is visiting Zootopia in hopes of improving relations to the point that borders can be opened for immigration and trade. Unfortunately for both sides, trouble is lurking underneath the surface. But these visitors and their new Zootopian allies aren't so easily deterred.





	1. Collision Course

**Author's Note:**

> AN: So this is my first try at writing fanfiction, but I just had to throw my hat into the ring after seeing all the amazing stories coming from such an open canvas. For some reason I felt like “going big or going home” and expanding on a part of the universe that hasn’t been touched too much. With that said, I would love some constructional feedback. Tell me what I’m doing wrong and tell me what I’m doing right as well, because I want this story to be as awesome as possible. 
> 
> Also, if anyone has any parts of reptilian culture/universe evolution you would like for me to try and research and explain (bullshit my way through) then just let me know and I’ll do my best.

The forests and mountains surrounding Zootopia are lush with life and greenery that is a stark contrast to the towers of metal and glass and the varying intense landscapes that make up the actual city itself. No climate walls, no weather controllers, and no sprinklers. Just pure Mother Nature with all her boons and gifts. The land is left untamed to allow citizens easy access to terrain that isn’t the artificially organized jungles and neighborhood covered meadows of the city in the case that some mammal needs an escape from the city and has even been made a national park so that rangers could be hired to ensure the safety of both the land and those that visit it.

With the outer communities and farmlands having to go further out to settle, it is easier for most to take a train ride into the city for both passenger and cargo purposes. There are roads for the occasional automobile and cargo that cannot be trusted to left on a passenger filled train, but such instances are quite rare.

Which is why any mammal who might be within eyesight would have their interest peaked to see not just one, but three vehicles in a convoy making their way down the roads surrounding Zootopia towards the city. At a glance the vehicles might seem normal if not a little on the fancy side. But a glance does not reveal the armor plating surrounding each one and the bulletproof tinted glass that makes up the windows. Any witness might guess that the passengers are mammals that are so important that they require their own guard convoy to move them from place to place. And their guess would be half correct, because the individuals being transported are indeed extremely important. But what they would not have guessed is that instead of being mammals, most of the passengers are reptiles save for a couple.

In the middle car sat a serpent, a crocodile, and a monitor lizard. The crocodile is at the wheel with the serpent wrapped around himself in the front passenger and the monitor lizard seemingly resting in one of the back seats. Each one is wearing a hand tailored black and white suit, with armored vests underneath. A holster with a tail friendly sleek pistol in it is visible on the serpent while the crocodile has his own holster and handgun hidden under his suit. The monitor lizard is seemingly unarmed with no signs of a concealed weapon on him. The interior of the vehicle is large and clean with a mini bar that none of the occupants seemed to have helped themselves to. An eerie silence has fallen over the trio that has been present for however long, none of them moving a muscle save for the course corrections of the crocodile at the wheel and the occasional tongue flick of the serpent and the monitor lizard. Both the crocodile and the serpent are alert, constantly scanning the environment for anything that might cause alarm while the monitor lizard has his eyes closed and his snout pointed downwards. The crocodile is the one to break the silence with a booming and deep voice.

“Are you still with us boss, or did you finally become so at peace that your heart accidentally stopped? Because if you did, Sammy owes me ten bucks.” he declares while chuckling at his own joke. The serpent does his best to perform a facepalm with his tail while sighing at the apparently terrible inside joke.

Without even looking up or opening his eyes, the monitor lizard gives his response with a slow and authoritative voice. “How many times have I told you not to call me boss anymore? I haven’t been your superior or the one to pay you in almost a decade. You’re a government agent now and I am just the one you all are assigned to. And as for your jest at my expense, I am still breathing and more than ready to put you in your place.”

The crocodile’s chuckle and smirk upgrades to a full-blown belly laugh, slightly affecting the trajectory of the vehicle. “Legally yeah, we don’t work for you anymore. But that doesn’t mean you’re not ‘el jefe’ anymore. We’ve all been through Hell and back together, and whether you like it or not you’re stuck with us.”

“The endearment does not bother me. But what does is the fact that I am an ambassador now and you are my assigned agents. I do not want others hearing you calling me your boss and getting any hints at what our pasts might be. I had enough trouble moving beyond my previous occupation and do not want anymore issues simply because you are loose lipped and do not acknowledge those around us that might hear you.” the monitor lizard responds, finally looking up and leaving his trance state. The serpent enters the conversation with an amused smirk on his face, speaking over the laughing crocodile “Your annoyance is why he does it sir. A good whack to the head would remind him that it is not a good idea to provoke you. Hopefully it would also knock him unconscious and we would have several hours of blissful silence.””

Before either of the other passengers can respond to him, the crackling of the radio on the dash signals one of the other vehicles contacting their own vehicle.

“Whatever joke you made this time Rico, you better can it.” comes over a feminine voice “I can see you swerving from the laughter and I don’t want our ETA delayed because we had to pull one of the transport vehicles out of a ditch.”

“The nerve Sammy. How could you accuse me of such a thing?” the crocodile melodramatically exclaims while placing one of his hands over his heart in an offended manner, as if the owner of the voice could see him through the tinted glass.

“Because the boss doesn’t tell jokes and Cyrus’ jokes are terrible.” responds the voice over the radio.

“My sense of humor is quite exquisite. It is not my fault I prefer a higher sense of comedy!” the serpent exclaims in actual offense compared to the crocodile’s fake offense.

“There he goes again, putting the ‘king’ in king cobra.” the crocodile gets in between his renewed laughing fit. The serpent lets out a menacing hiss that only seems to provoke the crocodile’s laughing even more. Meanwhile the monitor lizard has once again closed his eyes and lowered his head. But this time it is out of annoyance from another one if his bodyguards referring to him as their boss and their comical banter.

“What’s our ETA anyway Sammy? We must be getting close since we’ve been driving for hours.” asks the crocodile once he finally regains his composure.

“ETA 20 minutes until we arrive at Zootopia’s mainland, crossing city limits right about now. Eyes up people, this is either going to be a vacation or a warzone depending on how they react to our dear ambassador and us.” responds the voice in a professional manner.

“Here’s hoping for a little bit of warzone. We haven’t seen any action in a damn long time and I’m feeling rusty.” pipes in another voice over the radio.

“None of that Kima.” the crocodile quickly remarks in a serious tone “We need this diplomatic mission to go well if we want relations with Zootopia to improve to the point that borders can be opened, and any aggression is gonna make it a lot harder for things to go well. Also, the boss will skin and tan you himself if you mess this up for Saurrex and his kids.”

“Hey I’m not looking to start any fights. Enjoying the sights and trying some of their liquor sounds fun to me. But if any of those mammals starts something, I’m gonna make sure to be the one to end it.”

No one responds to that and a deathly silence falls over all three vehicles. They all want the mission to go well and bring the two nations closer together. But none of them are oblivious to the fact that the situation could get ugly quickly, and the ambassador needs to be protected at all costs. The mission failing and relations not improving would be one thing. But his death, him being who he is, could lead to unexpected escalations between the already tense nations. Even if it means the deaths of some aggressing mammals, ambassador Lendys Sunda must be protected at all costs. Not that he would make it easy for them to end his life short. He had his old reputation for a reason after all.

As Lendys stares at his phones screen saver thinking of the three other monitor lizards in the picture standing next to him in it, he thinks to himself “I promise you that this city will be safe for the both of you. And if it is not, then I will make it so. This I swear as your father.”

_Hidden off the side of the road in the overgrowth, a lone jaguar sits observing the convoy._

“Scout-01 reporting in, targets are entering city limits now in three vehicles. No eyes on the VIP yet. Regrouping with team and awaiting further orders.”


	2. Brace for Impact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter focuses on Judy and Nick before they meet with the reptilian visitors. Their romance is abbreviated into a couple paragraphs since it is not the focus of this story and I did not want to beat a dead horse. I'm still learning how to get into the mindset of a character and write how they would they would act and and what they would say. So that is the reason for why a character might not be their usual self. I'm getting better at this I swear!

Judy and Nick were currently sitting in their shared seat in the bullpen, waiting for Chief Bogo to arrive and give the day’s briefing. Judy was her usual energetic self, ready for the day with ears raised and her can-do attitude on full throttle.  Nick on the other paw was still struggling to reach lucidity with a steady stream of caffeine. A nocturnal predator dating and living with a diurnal prey certainly had its drawbacks in his case, but they were heavily outweighed by the benefits if you asked him. The big one being he no longer had to hide his affection for Judy from the world and could wrap his tail around her whenever he wanted.

When they had first started being open about their relationship, it had earned them a string of jokes and congratulations from their coworkers, a chew-out from Bogo making sure they understood the job came first, and a bit of the reward pot for the stations bet pool on them dating from Clawhauser. Nick had cut him a deal so that he would time their announcement in exchange for some of the profits. Judy tried to scold Nick for it but couldn’t stay mad because as he put, it was a “perfectly legal hustle”.

The rumbling of hooves and paws along with the roars and howls signaled that Sgt. Higgins was calling the room to attention and Chief Bogo was approaching the podium. Normally the display was already a sign of strong comradery and devotion. Today however, there was more energy in the air and the room did not immediately calm at the Chief’s behest. The reason being that today was a special occasion for the city. An ambassador from Saurrex was visiting to meet with the mayor and the city council to improve relations and discuss the possibility of immigration between the two nations being opened and trade deals being formed.

The ambassador and his entourage would also be touring the city in public to dissuade the thoughts of the “Barbaric Lizards” that were already forming among radical and political groups and to show that they were perfectly normal and approachable. A vast majority of the predators were welcoming since it would be hypocritical to be prejudice after the Nighthowler Case. But there were still several prey that had their reservations about whether reptiles could really become a part of Zootopia or not. Which is why all of the precincts were on high alert and suspending minor investigations and cases until further notice. Another part of the diplomatic visit would be that the ambassador would receive a full tour of Precinct One and how it functions to answer the reptilian nation’s questions about Zootopia’s police force being able to protect their citizens from harm if they were to immigrate.

Judy and Nick were both excited to receive their assignment and know what part they would play in the fiasco. Judy because she had never met a reptile and only knew about them from the ghost stories she heard growing up, and Nick because he would get to play reptile tour guide for Judy and tell her about the animals they are going to see. Seeing her being awestruck was just too adorable for him to resist after all.

Once the room had reached a reasonable level of quiet after a few angry glares from Bogo, he performs his personal ceremony of looking over his officers and making sure they are all healthy of both body and mind. He may not be a wolf or even a predator, but he understands that his officers not only see him as their boss, but also as their leader and a friend. They all trust each other with their lives and have formed bonds forged in the worst fires that the city has offered. So when he hears a wolf describe pack hierarchy, he sees himself as his officers alpha. Therefore, it his duty to not only lead them but to also look after them all and make sure that they are safe from harm and are happy. Any threat to that health or happiness would have to face his unchained wrath.

Looking them all over, everyone seems perfectly fine and eager due to the special occasion. He sees his fox officer moving his lips, probably to deliver a joke that apparently earns some laughter from the other officers and even a smirk from Officer Hopps that she hides behind her paw. It always makes him internally sigh to see how much the fox corrupts his best officer, but also internally smile to see how much they make each other better mammals. They are indeed perfect for one another. Not that he would ever let them know he believed that of course. He has a reputation to uphold.

“Can it Wilde!” he bellows to regain control of the room. With the ceremony taken care of, he moves on to giving out the day’s assignments.

“Wolford, Fangmeyer, Rhinowitz, and Grizzoli I want at City Hall with the officers from the other precincts making sure that the crowds that are forming play nice with each other. Protests are acceptable, but I do not want any riots breaking out and mammals getting hurt. Make sure you stop by the armory on your way out for riot gear incase the situation gets dangerous. Delgato, Penningtion, McHorn, and Howlington I want to escort the diplomatic convoy from Unity Bridge until they arrive hear at Precinct One. Since the Saurrex Embassy is still under construction, they will be coming hear first to personally be given the information as to where they will be staying in the city to prevent any chance of it being intercepted.  Have your paws on your radio at all times and call in the second something goes wrong. Jackson and Trumpet I want to handle a string of serial jewel robberies in Sahara Square. Cut their newfound career short. Hopps and Wilde, meet me in my office afterwards for your briefing. Everyone else standard patrols. Dismissed!

With that, mammals began filing out of the bullpen and heading to the motor pool to get into position for the day ahead. They all were excited for such a rare occasion, but there was also tension and professional alertness displayed across their faces today. If the Nighthowler Protests were any sign of what to expect, the situation can get ugly quickly and the entire city will be on the verge of chaos with the right catalyst. As Judy and Nick head toward Chief Bogo’s office, they chat about what he is discreetly assigning them.

“What do you think the Chief is giving us to do?” questions Judy “Do you think he’s giving us a classified assignment while the ambassador is in the city?”

Nick gives a half-energy chuckle to Judy’s eagerness to be given something important to do. “I doubt it fluff. My guess is that he’s shoving us in the dullest and quietest part of the city so we don’t accidently cause any trouble again. We do have a habit of stumbling on big cases and being a magnet for trouble.” he says, which gets an adorable huff from Judy.

“It’s not my fault that those bears we happened to try and pull over for speeding were heading to a gang meeting and lead us straight to their base of operations after they tried to lose us in a chase. Or the noise complaint from that elderly moose that lead to several smuggler stings.”

“I’m not saying that it is, but you have to admit we have a knack for finding trouble by chance.”

Once they finally reach Chief Bogo’s office door, Nick raps his knuckles on the door to let him know that they have arrived. After a couple seconds, they hear Chief Bogo bellow “Enter”.

As Nick pushes the door open, he makes sure to get his usual smartass comment in. “Hey Buffalo Butt, you giving us meter maid duty so we stay out of- “His snark is cut short as he notices there are two other mammals in the room. On the other side of the desk from them there is a gray rabbit buck with black horizontal stripes along his face and ears standing next to a beautiful artic vixen, both wearing paw tailored suits, matching rings, and smug grins. Judy and Nick freeze for a second as they take in the scene before Nick puts his hustler face back on.

“Stripes! It’s been awhile since you showed yourself, and you remembered to bring your better half. I see you haven’t driven her away with the super spy act yet.” he continues to snark, which earns him an elbow jab to the side from Judy. Instead of responding with his own quip, Jack Savage turns to address Chief Bogo.

“Buffalo Butt huh? I haven’t heard anyone call you that yet Adonis. I’ll have to keep that one in mind the next time we go out for drinks.” This earns a mischievous giggle from Skye and a heavy sigh from the chief as he rubs his temple.

“Hi Judy, hi Nick!” greets Skye “Sorry we haven’t met up with you sooner, but we were extremely busy after the honeymoon. Apparently the bad guys weren’t willing to take a break for us and we had to catch up on work. Thanks for the coffee maker by the way. It’s been super helpful with the late work nights and with Jack being a morning mammal.”

Remembering about the wedding and her best friends getting married a couple of months ago brings a smile to Judy’s face. “No problem, me and Nick have that same one and it works wonders for our different sleep cycles. It was his idea though to get one for you guys!”

“Nick and I” corrects Nick with his hustler grin “me and Nick is grammatically incorrect Carrots.”

“Oh my god don’t tell me you’re one of those mammals! I might have to rethink dating you.”

“Enough” shouts Chief Bogo “There are important matters to discuss and we don’t have time for your friendly banter.” That gets the other four mammal’s attention and they fall back into professional mode.

“So what assignment did you want to give us that needed to be discussed in your office instead of the bullpen Chief?” asks Judy being the ever curious one.

The chief seems to breath in and brace himself for the next conversation, which puts Nick on edge. “This assignment has to do with the visiting ambassador. I want the both of you along with agent Savage and agent Winter-” he says before being cut off by Skye.

“Also agent Savage now.” she corrects with a loving smile towards Jack. Jack for his part tries to remain straight faced and looking ahead. Unfortunately he can’t help the slight blush under his fur from showing.

“Right…” the chief says blankly “along with agent Savage and agent Savage, you will be by the ambassador and his entourage’s side for most of their visit. Together you two are my best officers. Hopps you’ve proven time and time again that your stature is not a measure of your skill and commitment to the badge. That combined with Wilde’s mammal skills, calming any situation that arises and making some friends gives us an opportunity to show that the police department is willing to extend the olive branch to the reptilian nation. I hate to give you credit for being good at something Wilde, but I will not refuse to use your experience to our advantage.” At this Nick can’t help but smirk at the chief’s expense for having to admit he is talented. But then a question pops into his mind that puts him back on alert.

“Okay but then why did we need to have this conversation in your office instead of the bullpen, and why do Jack and Skye need to be there if I’m just going to be sweet talking some reptiles and convincing specists to back off?” he prods, worried that he’s probably not going to like the answer.

The chief once again sighs and leans back into his chair before continuing the conversation. “Hopps it won’t mean anything to you. But it might mean something to your partner.” With that he looks directly into Nick’s eyes “Does the name Dragon mean anything to you?”

Before he can respond, Judy speaks up. “Hey I know what a dragon is! Big, breaths fire, likes shiny stuff, kidnaps princesses, can use magic depending on what book series they’re from. I mean… I don’t read any of that stuff!” Judy nervously says, losing the bravado she had just a moment ago and retreats.

“Not **what** is a dragon Hopps, but **who** is Dragon.” clarifies Chief Bogo. And with that, Nick’s body immediately floods with fear in its purest sense. So much so that even the prey in the room with their less sensitive systems notice how he suddenly reeks of it. The chief, Jack, and Skye seem to understand why. But Judy is taken aback by seeing her partner, who normally wears a perfect hustler mask, become absolutely terrified of just a name. She is even more surprised to see him take an instinctual step towards her, rapping himself around her as if to protect her from some unseen foe.

Nick starts to yell at the chief, his words laced with the same fear he is displaying. “No way Chief! If he’s targeting the ambassador, then there is no chance in Hell that I am letting Judy anywhere near him. I don’t even want Jack and Skye near him on the chance they get caught in the crossfire! You either need to send him back home or call in the damn military if you want him protected!” At this point Nick is snarling from whatever has spooked him and Judy isn’t happy with any of it.

“Officer Wilde calm down, you are jumping to conclusions.” commands Chief Bogo, silently cursing himself for not explaining it better. “Listen both of you. What I am about to tell you does not leave this room. I did not want you privy to this information, but I felt that you would be in more danger not knowing. Am I understood?”

Judy nods while Nick simply shows his agreement by ceasing to growl. The chief then takes that as his cue to continue. “The ambassador is not being targeted by the individual known as Dragon, because he **is** Dragon.” the chief says, speaking each word slowly so that the meaning gets through Wilde’s thick skull. It seems to have the desired affect because the fox goes from a defensive posture to pure befuddlement.

Judy is the one to break the silence after she gets tired of being left out of the loop. “Okay can someone explain to me what’s going on and why my partner is freaking out? Otherwise I’m going to start interrogating one of you. And I’m going to be the bad cop.” she huffs.

Jack is the one to volunteer, not wanting to face the doe’s wrath once again. “I can fill in the blanks for you.” he explains as he pulls out his phone and shows Judy an image of a rather large reptile the size of a tiger in tactical gear and armed to the teeth, which themselves appear to be very dangerous and capable of killing. “This individual’s old code name was ‘Dragon’ due to his species being one of the komodo dragons. A breed of reptile that earned its name because when they were first found on a chain of isolated islands by explorers, they were believed to have been the descendants of the monsters from old legends due to their stature and appearance.” Taking a second to make sure both Judy and Nick were still following, he continues.

“This particular komodo dragon, Lendys Sunda being his real name, was the leader of a small group of mercenaries known as ‘The Tyrants’. Each one of those mercenaries on their own was a force to be reckoned with, and together they were a nightmare for their targets. But Lendys himself was an entirely different story. The rest of them put together, they were as dangerous as their leader. He has a very long list of confirmed kills in the agency’s databases, as well as many more goons, bodyguards, and guns-for-hire. And those are the ones we know about. There are most likely dozens more to his body count that we are not aware of.  We don’t know why he was such an effective killer. All we know is that he was one of the best. Him and his team fell off the of the face of the Earth about a decade ago, and did not resurface until we heard from an ambassador who happens to have the same name and be the same species. We are uncertain if his intentions with this diplomatic mission are honest. He seems to be a genuine ambassador, and a professional hitanimal has little to gain by showing his face and pretending to be a national representative. The publicity makes it much harder for them to remain obscure after all.” explains Jack. He then takes another second to drink in their reactions to his explanation of this animal’s past. What he is telling them is extremely classified and valuable intel. He himself barely has the clearance to have access to it. Hopps is attentive and in investigation mode, while Wilde is still on guard and in protective mode. Whatever they may be thinking, their interest is peaked and now they seem to want to know more.

Jack once again continues to speak, “Hopps I need you to understand something. I know you can be extremely determined and willing to tackle any challenge placed in front of you. But more than anything else, **do not** try to confront him in any way. I tried to once a long time, and it nearly cost me my life. The only reason I am standing here is because I was not his target and I had simply got in his way. He decided to spare me and simply walked away like I was nothing.”

As he warns her, he lifts his shirt and suit to expose his right side and show an old scar as wide as his paw running from right below his ribs diagonally to his left hip. Judy can’t help but gasp at such a grievous wound. It was fully healed, but that did not help lessen how brutal it looked and how the greyish white tissue was slightly pushed into his body. She’d seen similar scars caused by predator claws in her few years as a police officer. But it is completely different to see a close friend maimed in such a manner.

He then straightens his suit and continues to speak. “He could have gutted me right then and there. He just needed to swipe at me an inch farther. But he purposely held back and spared me. He is the only animal to ever have beaten me that easily, and he did it without breaking a sweat. Although now that I think about it reptiles can’t sweat. But my point is you should do your best not to make an enemy out of him unless you have to. We have no reason to believe that this is a ruse and that he cannot be trusted. You can even ask him yourself how he ended up as an ambassador. I’m a little curious myself to be honest. Any questions?”

The room once again falls into silence. Both Jack and Skye seem nonchalant with the matter, but in reality they are just as tense about the matter as Nick.  Ever being the pragmatist, Jack is already calculating their survival chances and options in the case that Lendys turns on them. He does not like how few options they would have. Skye is nervous because of how this is affecting Jack. He has always had a plan B through H and has always been a few moves ahead of everyone else. But this time he seems like a cornered mammal who is doing its best just to stay alive. She had never met this animal personally, but he’s apparently dangerous enough to make the best agent she knows nervous.

As for Chief Bogo, his main concern is currently and will always be his officer’s safety. He wouldn’t put it past his two best officers to somehow befriend the most dangerous killer on the entire damn planet. They’re already best friends with two veteran special agents, are minor celebrities in Zootopia, and Hopps is the godmother to the grandchild of Silvano Big. He still gets migraines because of that last one. Why not add a bunch of assassins to their list of friends in high places? On the other hoof if this reptile sets his sights on them, then they’re as good as dead. Being helpless to protect any of his officers always puts him in a sour mood, so he does not ask this of them lightly. But this is a major opportunity and he won’t pass it up simply because he’s being an overprotective bull who is scared to see his officers hurt.

Nick is currently at war with himself. During his years as a conmammal, he heard several rumors and whispers from various thugs and bodyguards about a reptile that was the boogey mammal to them. They told ghost stories about a monster bigger than an elephant that showed no mercy, as silent as a stalking jaguar, and that was completely unaffected by bullets. “Stay alert on your patrol and be loyal to your employer, or Dragon will come for you and punish you.” they would say in bars and shady corners of the city. It would almost seem childish if a lot of them didn’t end up dead and riddled with bullets without any of their rivals claiming credit. Most of it was probably cow dung, but there is always a grain of truth to tall tales. And if even a speck of those rumors is true about this animal, then he wants Judy nowhere near him. On the other paw he is a police officer now and it is his duty to protect the city. Backing down from this would not only disappoint Judy but also betray the badge he’s so proud of. This is an opportunity to use his silver tongue to be a force of good. He doesn’t want to back down just because he’s scared of this reptile that he’s never met before.

He looks over to Judy to try and guess what she is thinking. What he finds is her brilliant violet eyes alight with pure determination. Sighing at realizing his fate has already been sealed, he turns to give a response to the room.

“Can we pull out of this assignment if it gets too hot for us? I want to play this one by ear until I can get a read on these guys.”

The chief is the one to answer him, “If you have a valid reason for believing this is a ploy and that the ambassador is an enemy, then you have my permission to walk away. But I want you to make that call carefully. If you pull the trigger and you are wrong, it would humiliate the ambassador that the duo who solved the Nighthowler Case believed that he was an enemy. Both the media and politicians would eat him alive. Do you understand the assignment I am giving you?” he says, putting all the weight he can muster behind those final words. Judy has a moment of guilt, remembering her utter train wreck of a press conference after the missing mammals were found. She already hurt Nick badly back then. She wasn’t going to hurt another innocent animal like that again. Both Judy and Nick look into each other’s eyes, and nod in affirmation a moment later. Judy then turns to the chief and gives their answer.

“Consider it done chief.”

The chief sighs for what must be the umpteenth time. This time it is out of relief, as it feels like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. Now for the easy part of the conversation. “In that case I want you to get your squad car ready. The ambassador should be arriving here about an hour from now. I want you ready with the Savages out front ready to greet them. You will give them this file” he says as he slides over a tan file with a few papers enclosed “which tells them where they will be staying for their visit. You will then escort them to city hall where the ambassador will greet the mayor and give an introductory speech to a gathered crowd. From then on it will be the usual parade of political pawshakes for a few days until it is time for their tour of the city and Precinct One. Be at their side whenever you can, answer any questions they have, charm them, and disarm any situations that arise.”

“So… when you say whenever we can, does that include when they’re in the restroom?” Nick says, trying to lighten the mood with a bad joke. No one laughs or groans at it though.

“Nick darling, if we can tell that you are nervous because you’re telling jokes, then he definitely will be able to tell as well. Just be genuine and kind. Honesty goes a long way with these types of animals.” comments Skye, trying to comfort the visibly shaken tod.

“Right, be honest with the deadly hit animal that I am terrified of him…”

She chuckles at that, always enjoying seeing Nick out of his element. “That’s the spirit.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Komodo dragon fun fact: We previously believed bad hygiene and bacteria in their mouths to be the reason their bites caused the victim to go into shock and not properly coagulate the wound. But it has been recently discovered that komodo dragons have venom glands in their lower jaw. You'll still suffer a slow agonizing death though...


	3. Introductions

Nick was in a slightly better mood compared to after they had left Chief Bogo’s office. The reason being that him, Judy, and the Savages agreed to quickly go for smoothies before the ambassador arrived to help calm their nerves. Carrot smoothies for the rabbits, a cherry smoothie for Skye, and a blueberry smoothie for himself. The sweet treats were normally reserved for when him and Judy had a hectic day and needed a small bit of enjoyment to help brighten things up. Unfortunately, today’s smoothie was not having any luck removing the rock that he felt sitting in his stomach. Even with Jack’s words of confidence that the ambassador is not out to get them, he can’t help but be on alert for any danger. It’s what kept him alive as a hustler and has continued to be useful as a police officer.

They were currently waiting in Precinct One’s lobby, the others chatting up with Clawhauser about the diplomatic visit and anything else that the cheetah steered the conversation towards. He didn’t feel like taking part since he was too focused on the recent revelations about his next assignment. These weren’t going to be the first reptiles he’d ever met before. There was the occasional one passing through the city for business matters. They made an easy hustle since they weren’t instilled with the prejudice that foxes were shifty and couldn’t be trusted. They also weren’t the first powerful and dangerous animals that he needed to make friends with. Honestly it surprised him that he was able to befriend Mr. Big enough that he never sent a couple polar bears out to find him so that he could be iced. Although the skunk butt rug fiasco meant that he was out of his good graces and no longer had pull with him anymore. But this was different. These were the kinds of animals that scared powerful people like Mr. Big. Suddenly Nick realizes he’s missing a bit of information. He turns to Jack and Skye to hopefully get a solid answer.

“Hey, can I ask you two something else related to the case?” he asks the Savages, signaling that he’d prefer for Clawhauser not to hear. The cheetah giggles at this.

“I can take a hint. Big cases need to remain hush hush! Though I don’t know why you bother hiding it from me, I hear everything that goes on here eventually.” playfully says Clawhauser.

“Sorry Spots, it’s just because of formalities and all of that. I’ll get you a couple donuts from your favorite store to make it up to you.”

“Oooooh, make it a few more and I’ll throw in one secret kept that you can redeem later.” he bargains.

“I’ll take that deal any day. The next time I see you, it will be with treats in hand.” quickly responds the fox. A few measly pastries in exchange for Clawhauser keeping his lips sealed about a secret of his choice was a no brainer.

Once they are safely out of earshot of any eavesdroppers, Jack prods at whatever is eating at Nick this time.

“So what about the ambassador do you want to know if we know this time Wilde? Possibly what his favorite dish is?” he quips. This was in response to Nick constantly asking questions about anything him and Skye might know about the ambassador to help calm him down. After they left Chief Bogo’s office it was a barrage of him trying to find out as much as he could, which wasn’t much.

“I probably don’t want to know the answer to that, so no. My question is about the mercenaries he led. Do we have any idea if they are still with him or where they are at all?” he asks.

“Unfortunately, our intel reports don’t have anything on them or where they might be.” answers Skye “We have the information we do on Lendys because of the reputation he built up, and also because he didn’t seem to care about hiding who he was. One of the benefits of everyone who might be a threat to you not wanting to be on your bad side apparently. As for his subordinates, they’ve remained in obscurity and we don’t even know what any of their species are. We do know that there were approximately seven of them, not including Lendys. They didn’t resurface with him, so we have no idea where they currently are. But that is just something else you can ask him once you meet him Nicholas. At this point you should just schedule an interview for all the unanswered questions you have.” she says. The artic vixen understands wanting to have as much information as possible, but the tod needs to understand that all he can do right now is just wait.

The stone in Nick’s stomach grew larger at several more unknown factors being added. Life taught him that they could come back to bite you in the tail if you let them be. His train of thought is interrupted by Judy putting her paw over his. Looking over, her eyes are filled with worry that he assumes is aimed towards him. Normally he’s able to hide his emotions behind his hustler façade, but being with Judy has had the side effect of allowing her to see right through him.

“Nick, I know you’re scared.” she starts “Honestly I’m kinda scared myself. We’re supposed to protect an animal that might not be on our side. But protecting Zootopia comes first, so we can’t make bad calls just because we’re scared. We haven’t even met this reptile yet. He may actually be very friendly and we’re worrying about nothing. And if this does go bad, I feel safer knowing you have my back. And I want you to know that I have yours.”

A smile grows on Nick’s muzzle. She always knows what to say to calm him down and bring him back to reality. It’s a new feeling that he’s learned to appreciate after not having it for so long. He’s had friends that understood him, but only a handful of mammals have made him feel safe and loved like she has. He takes a second to collect himself. The rock in his stomach feels much lighter now and there is a new surge of determination in him. Even if he has to put himself in front of an extremely dangerous animal, he’d do anything for her.

“Sly bunny”

“Dumb fox”

The tender moment is broken up by the striped buck next to them. “You both are fools and are meant for each other.” sighs Jack. A moment later both him and his ears straighten due to the vixen tail being wrapped around him. He turns his head away from all three of them, coughing into his closed fist.

***

 

Waiting near a police cruiser and an unassuming simple black car, both Judy and Nick hear a notification from one of the police escorts over their radios that they are about to arrive with the ambassador in tow. The plan is to receive and greet them in the motor pool away from prying eyes so that they can safely hand over the file and then follow them to city hall. Soon they hear the roar of several car engines and eventually see two cruisers guiding three black cars into the large garage. The cruisers pull away and form a far perimeter out of earshot. They step out but do not approach, staying alert for any signs of trouble. The four officers that step out exchange a nod with Judy and Nick as the three cars pull up perpendicular to the bunny and fox.

Nick feels like he is standing on pins and needles. This is the moment of truth. First impressions are everything and the consequences could be bad if he screws this up. This is also when he learns how much danger Judy and he are in. Are they going to be a group of friendly reptiles or are they going to be a bunch of emotionless killers? He has to fight the urge to step closer to Judy, not wanting to give away how close the two of them are just in case they aren’t so friendly.

Everyone seems to hold their breath as the front car’s driver door opens, not knowing what species of reptile to expect. Will they be large or small? Will they be friendly or aggressive? Will they be armed? Finally the animal steps out, and they are… a rabbit?

Nick takes a second to blink his eyes and shake his head to make sure he is not hallucinating. And yet sure enough, the animal that has stepped out and is walking towards them is indeed a rabbit. A doe to be specific. Her fur has a tan color and her build is just as fit and athletic as Judy’s and Jack’s. She is wearing a well-made suit with a pistol holster attached to her side and a layer of Kevlar peeking out from underneath. Having a father who was a tailor had given Nick an eye for suits in his life and allowed him to notice small details about what they hid. She seems to be a middle-aged doe, sporting several battle scars that are not covered up by the suit. An especially noticeable one running from her forehead into her right ear. Her walk is filled with determination that would make a Mr. Big enforcer nervous. Nick barely manages to realize she is speaking after breaking free from his shock.

“Hello, my name is Samantha Bounds. Am I to assume you two are officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde?” she asks, her voice gentle and professional.

“Uhm, yes! I am officer Wilde, and this is my partner officer Hopps.” Nick manages to get out, silently wanting to slap his hand onto his muzzle. A bunny getting out of the car has completely thrown him off and it is making him awkward. Now he needs his mind to reboot to get his charm going again.

“Hello…” Judy says with more than a hint of confusion in her voice.

The doe then turns hurt attention to Jack and Skye who are standing slightly off to the side. “And you must be agents Savage and Winter. Nice to meet some agents from a different government.” she directs at them. In response Skye simply nods her head, not bothering to correct her marital status to a stranger.

“I didn’t realize that Saurrex was willing to hire mammal agents. We might have to look into it if the benefits are better.” Jack says.

“I wouldn’t be so eager. Some things take getting used to.” she replies

Nick decides to get her attention again to try and figure out what is going on. “Mrs. Bounds was it? Not to be rude, but we were kind of expecting to meet reptiles. It looks like there’s been a bit of a miscommunication.” Nick uncomfortably says. He is even more caught off guard when the doe begins to laugh. This is getting weirder by the second and he is going to need another smoothie sooner rather than later.

“Really? That’s too bad, because I have a bunch of old handbags in the car that I was looking to hand off to someone.” she says, giving them a moment to see if they catch on. After a few seconds of no improvement, she sighs and continues. “I am the agent in charge of the reptilian ambassador’s escort. It would take way too long to tell you how this happened, so you’ll just have to accept it and save your questions for later. Is the ambassador and the rest of the escort clear to exit the vehicles?” she asks.

Remembering what he’s supposed to be doing and the procedures to follow, he manages to regain some amount of composure. “Uh yes, we are all clear and they are safe to exit their vehicles.” he responds.

Nodding at his confirmation, the doe turns around and whistles into the large open space. Moments later, several doors being opened can be heard and suddenly more figures are visible.

From the front car that Samantha came from, a very large serpent that looks to be approximately 14 feet long slithers forward.  Darker scales form a net-like pattern with muddled greenish-brown scales forming diamonds within the net structure. His snout is elongated and rounded at the nose. The eyes are perfect circles with narrow pupils at the center. While most of his body remains uncovered, the upper proportion that the serpent holds above the ground features a simple black suit jacket with a white undershirt. Attached to the side of the uniform is a holster carrying a pistol that has some sort of specialized grip. How the reptile uses the firearm, Nick has absolutely no idea. But the surprises don’t end there. Next to the serpent is some sort of black feathered bird hopping along next to him. Apparently not only does the reptile escort feature a mammal, an avian also seems to make up their ranks. He also wears a personalized suit that fits his small stature and accommodates his wings, although the black of the suit pales in comparison to the darkness of his feathers. Nick doesn’t see any weapon on the bird, but he is able to barely make out the glint of metal on his talons.

Exiting from the center car, some sort of large reptile that Nick recognizes as a crocodile with a narrowed snout and ridges running along his back comes forward. The crocodile stands about ten feet tall with a large tail dragging behind. The hide is a tannish grey, under their maw being lighter while along the back of their neck it is a darker shade. This reptile’s suit is more what Nick is used to, featuring a black three piece with actual sleeves. Although the back has slits in it so that the ridges can safely come through without it tearing. The crocodile is then followed by a smaller but still quite large serpent with what seems like a hood on either side of its head. This serpent only seems to be about 11 feet long and is narrower than the first. The back scales feature large blots of black alternating with yellow bands, the belly scales being a light yellow. This serpent also wears the same suit and holster as the other, appearing to have the same specialized firearm.

Two more reptiles exit from the back car. One of them is also some sort of crocodile, but this one is actually as tall as Nick. Apparently, there are mini crocodiles. Though he doesn’t dare say that out loud. He’s learned from Judy that size doesn’t mean squat when it comes to how much fight an animal can put up. This crocodile’s hide is a very dark shade and bulkier in comparison to the other crocodile’s hide. It slightly unnerves Nick to see that the eyes are almost pitch black as if there is no life in them. This crocodile wears slacks and a vest like the others, but seems to have opted out of the jacket for whatever reason. The other reptile seems to be the smallest of the group, slightly larger than a mouse. Their hide color is a light grey with two streaks of red apparently going down their back. The eyes seem large for its head, mostly grey with a narrow black pupil running from the top of the eye to the bottom.

After they’ve all exited their vehicles, they begin to congregate around the middle car. It dawns on Nick why when he notices there is a reptile still missing. He sees the larger crocodile moving to open the backseat door for who he assumes to be the ambassador. Suddenly the rock returns and is heavier than ever being on the verge of finally meeting then animal of the hour. He looks over to see the others are just a rigid as him, standing at attention to meet the ambassador.

_You’ve got this Wilde, you’ve got this…_

The crocodile opens the door and moves with it to give the ambassador space to step out. Inside the car is a large reptile. When he steps out, he appears to be shorter than the crocodile at about nine feet. His suit is a grey color and a slightly better quality than his escort’s own suits. His hide is predominantly a dullish black with dispersed specks of grey and tan. The entire hide seems to have interlinked scales running along it like chainmail. The hide also looks baggy at several spots on his body, as if it doesn’t fit him. His head is elongated with rigid brows formed over the eyes, which themselves are round and almost completely filled with black pupils. Suddenly a forked tongue as long as his head flicks out and swings side to side, just as quickly retreating back into his mouth. He scans the room taking in anything of interest, and suddenly stops when he finds Judy and Nick standing in front of him with Samantha. He begins to walk towards them in large strides, holding himself high and brimming with authority. Seeing this animal move in front of him, Nick now understands where the rumors about him came from and now finds them more believable. While the doe could make enforcers and criminals nervous, this reptile could make them run for the hills if he wanted to. It takes Nick’s academy training to resist the urge to try and make himself smaller to appear to be submissive in front of a threat. Once he is finally standing in front of the two of them, he begins to speak with a slow and emotionless voice.

“Are you Judith Hopps, and are you Nicholas Wilde?” he asks them.

“Uh… yes! I am Judy Hopps. It is an honor to meet you Mr. ambassador.” Judy replies, managing to stow her emotions and appear professional. Nick isn’t so lucky and simply manages an affirmative nod.

Suddenly the reptile begins reaching into his suit and Nick can’t help but panic at the possibilities.

_What is it, what is he reaching for? Is it a gun, is it a knife, is it a… it’s a pen and paper?_

The ambassador had indeed pulled out a pen from his jacket. But as he unfolds it, Nick realizes the other item is not a piece of paper. Instead, it appears to be photograph. A photograph of just Judy and him that looks like it was taken at his graduation with the both of them in their police blues and wearing their decorations.

“I request that you both sign this photograph.” he says without a hint of emotion.

Before he can stop, Nick’s smartass comes back online and he let’s out some snark. “I didn’t realize that you were a fan Mr. ambassador. We do actually have a fan club if you’re interested.” he says, immediately regretting it “Uh… I mean…”

Before he can come up with a poor excuse, the komodo cuts him off. “I do not care about you or your exploits. But my daughter does, and she would not speak to me for a year if she knew I had met you and not gotten this for her.” he says, seeming to not have cared about Nick’s comment.

His partner decides to come to his rescue. “I would be more than happy to do that for you. If you can tell us her name then we can personally sign it to her.” Judy cuts in, saving Nick from embarrassing himself anymore.

The komodo takes a second to contemplate how he wants to respond, his gaze never leaving them. “Her name is Tia, and her brother’s name is Baham. He is not as eager of a fan, but he still respects you two for what you’ve done.” he finally answers.

The rock in Nick’s stomach is now just as confused as him, not knowing whether to grow or shrink. Apparently the children of a dangerous hit animal are fans of his, and he has no idea what to think about that. Judy takes the pen and picture from the komodo, signing it and giving it to Nick. Once he signs it, he gives it back to the ambassador and he stores the picture away. Suddenly something catches the ambassador’s eye, and he turns to look at Jack and Skye standing off to the side.

“Jack Savage. I haven’t seen you in several years. I hope you were able to fully recover from your injury. Are these two friends of yours?” he says motioning towards Judy and Nick. There is no malice or gloating in his voice, simply acknowledging his presence and asking a question with an obvious underlying meaning.

“I recovered just fine and have never felt better lately. And as to if we are friends, somehow that red dolt ended up as my best mammal. So yes, they know who you are Lendys. They’ve already been briefed and are up to date on your past.” he answers. At this, the entire escort stiffens up like there is a danger nearby. Lendys’ head swivels back to Judy and Nick, evaluating them like a wild animal does to a predator or prey. Either way it sets everyone on edge, holding their breaths. Nicks swears he can hear his heart beat as seconds pass by without anyone moving. After what feels like an eternity, Lendys begins to speak again.

“Good, that saves me the trouble of doing it myself. We can discuss it later when we are in less of a rush. I believe you have something for me?” he says. This jolts Nick’s memory and he hands him the file containing the information about his residency for his stay. Lendys skims through it and then hands it off to Samantha who also looks through it.

“Figures they’d put us up in a fancy ass hotel. Good thing we came prepared for that boss.” she says.

“Wait, boss? Does that mean…” Nick trails off, trying to get his answer without having to risk provoking a bad response.

Lendys glares at Samantha with a look that practically says “I told you so”.

She responds with a smug grin that responds with “Like I give a shit”.

Then she actually speaks to answer his question. “Yep, this bunch of misfits is the group that used to be called The Tyrants. Might as well get the introductions out of the way since you’re going to be seeing a lot of us.” she says, motioning the others to step forward.

“The giant python is Monty Chapman. Careful, he’s a hugger and his hugs kill.” she starts.

“Don’t say that Sammy, my hugs only kill if I want to them to kill.” he says in a deep and reverberating voice to defend himself.

“The crow we just call Percy. Apparently last names are important and personal with birds, so we don’t prod him about it.” she continues, the bird simply nodding an acknowledgement.

“The pale crocodile’s name is Rico de Ordaz, and he is just a barrel of laughs” she says with sarcasm.

“Sammy one of these days I’m gonna make you laugh, and Monty is gonna owe me 100 bucks because I betted him on it. Then I’m gonna use that money to take you out to dinner and finally win you over _mi corazón_!” the crocodile exclaims with no subtlety. The doe simply rolls her eyes at the spectacle.

“The cobra is Cyrus Abez. He’s technically royalty so he talks funny.”

“My mannerisms are refined and elegant Samantha. There is nothing ‘funny’ about them” he hisses.

“The mini crocodile’s name-” she starts but is cut off by the small reptile.

“Fuck you Sammy!” the crocodile shouts.

“Get in line.” cuts in Rico, with a grin showing off all of his teeth.

“-is Kima Vord.” Sammy growls, glaring at both of the crocodiles. “And finally, the gecko is Louis Kanak. He’s our tech specialist and computer whiz. But don’t underestimate him, he still technically walks the path of the shield.” she finishes.

“They don’t know what that means yet Sammy.” replies the small reptile. Realization dawns on the doe.

“Right, I forget I’m used to it but other mammals aren’t. Well we can fill them in another time. Right now we need to get Lendys to city hall. It was nice to meet you officers, and it will be a pleasure to get to know you. You as well agents.” she says, signaling the escort to return to their vehicles.

After all of the doors finish closing, the group of four release breaths they didn’t realize they were holding.

“Well all in all, that went very well.” Jack starts, “They seem like a jolly bunch. Nothing like the efficient killers that were outlined in the briefings. If anything, I feel they’re more a danger to each other than us.”

“It also answers where those missing mercenaries ended up. They don’t strike me as the professional agent types, so they most likely followed their leader when he became an ambassador for whatever reason. At least it will be easier than I thought to casually get some information out of them.” Skye responds.

Nick turns to say something about looks being deceiving, but Judy staring out into space with a frown on her face gets his attention.

“Carrots?” he gently asks. His voice seems to pull her out of her trance and she realizes what she was doing.

“Sorry for spacing out.” Judy apologizes, refocusing on Nick. “It’s probably nothing. Just an old rumor that was told to me as a kit to get us to behave.”

Nick shrugs nonchalantly at this. “Well lay it on us. It might still be worth knowing just in case.” he says.

“Well… supposedly a few decades ago there was this really curious doe kit who constantly went exploring against her parents’ wishes. One day she didn’t come back for dinner and that night the family alerts Bunnyburrow about a missing bunny. Soon they hear from a teenage buck from another family that he swears he saw big lizards walking through the forest with a crate. The doe was never found, and everyone just assumed that she had been kitnapped. Since no proof or evidence could be found, the case went cold fast. I just assumed that my parents told me that as a ghost story so that I would stop going out on my own and exploring.” Judy explains. Then she turns toward the convoy that is getting in position to leave the motor pool. “But that doe just now has the same exact name as the one that went missing, and I really doubt that this is all just a coincidence.”

“Huh, and just when this was getting easier. Well all we can do is ask them about it later Carrots. Until then, we have a city hall to escort that convoy to.” Nick chipperly says. Although he doesn’t like what he was just told. He heard about the old slave trade in his years as a hustler, and all of it made him sick to his stomach. Bad animals kitnapping unsuspecting victims and selling them on the black market to animals that did not have good intentions for their prize.

 Judy thinks to herself for a second, then nods her head in acceptance. As the four of them begin walking towards their respective vehicles, she gives her response.

“You’re right Slick. Let’s go and make the world a better place!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monty: reticulated python; Yes he is a Monty Python, I regret nothing.
> 
> Percy: carrion crow
> 
> Rico: orinoco crocodile
> 
> Cyrus: king cobra
> 
> Kima: dwarf crocodile
> 
> Louis: gargoyle gecko
> 
> The names Percy and Kima are indeed easter eggs if anyone caught them.


	4. Against the Tide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Yeah I got no excuses for why this is so late. No good ones at least. I just procrastinated a bunch and was trying to decide for awhile how I wanted to handle this chapter. I made this one longer, and hopefully that trend will continue as I get more comfortable writing.

Judy and Nick were currently at the head of the escort leading the reptiles to city hall. Sirens blaring and notifying all of their arrival, they were forging a path with no risks of stops or interference. Also part of the convoy were the two other cruisers that initially brought the reptiles to Precinct One, as well as the Savages tailing at a distance in their own vehicle. They were mostly staying in silence so they could keep a watchful eye out for anything out of the ordinary, but Judy felt the need to pick her fox’s brain.

“Sooooo… what does your hustler side tell you about those animals? They seemed friendly enough to me. A little goofy but that’s not dangerous. But you usually see more than I do.” she questions him while keeping her paws on the wheel and her eyes on the road. A long silence passes as Nick gathers his thoughts and decides how to explain what he’s thinking.

“They’re definitely a lot more carefree and open than I thought they’d be. Usually when a foreign animal comes to the big bad city, they quickly throw up walls so that they don’t end up as a spectacle on the nightly news to entertain a bunch of bored mammals. But these animals don’t seem to give a flying ferret about any of that. And they didn’t show the usual tells of it being an act to try and get us to drop our guard. They weren’t checking our expressions after every pun to see if we were buying it, and they weren’t trying to get anything they could use out of us either. But they’re definitely dangerous. The way they moved was practiced and graceful. No wasted energy and very few openings into their perimeter.  At least three of them were keeping an eye out at any given moment. Each and every one of them were wearing their fair share of battle scars and had several concealed weapons on them.” Nick rattles on. He then sags into his seat and points his muzzle to the roof, sighing at what he was able to notice. “These animals are the real deal.”

Judy hates to see her fox being a nervous wreck. So a little banter is called for to pull him out of his slump.

“Well at least I was able to save your tail from yourself after that comment about the fan club. You just couldn’t help but snark the ambassador the second you had the opportunity, could you?” Judy smugly says.

“I can’t resist the urge Carrots, it’s part of my DNA! It’s like asking wolves not to howl! I was even ready to sign the ambassador up to the newsletter and everything.” Nick exclaims, throwing out his paws and widening his eyes to add emphasis. The tension is slightly released and both mammals are once again laughing. But then Judy realizes something.

“Wait we actually have a fan club? I thought you were just kidding about that.” Judy asks. Nick takes a sip from his coffee and relaxes back into his seat.

“Yeah apparently the others aren’t kidding when they say we are minor celebrities. A lot of mammals started looking up to us after the Nighthowler Case as examples against specism and prejudice. Mostly mammals like racoons and foxes that society doesn’t treat too nicely. But there are larger predators and even prey who rallied against it all, bunnies included. Apparently you weren’t the only one sick and tired of being underestimated.” Nick says, knowing just how to feed Judy’s adorable ego, and she deserved it to. She was his super bunny for a reason. Right on cue, her ears straighten and she is beaming with pride. “It would also probably surprise you that a certain cheetah friend of ours happens to be the chairmammal of the entire thing.”

“Wait really?! Oh cheese and crackers, he probably tells them everything we do!” she groans.

“I would hope not, some of them are probably too young for our bedroom stories” Nick says while raising his eyebrows. Judy doesn’t respond as she stares forward, but gives Nick all the answer he needs when he notices her ears reddening. Then he continues by comforting his bunny, “Hey Judy, thanks for pulling me out of my slump just now. It’s a lot to take in and I was feeling overwhelmed.”

Judy answers back after snapping herself free from her embarrassment “No problem Slick. Like I said, I got your back. And I don’t think it’s as bad as you might think it is. I figure the ambassador is a lot less likely to have it out for us since his kids like us enough that he wanted to get our autographs for them. I didn’t even know that animals as far as Saurrex had heard about us.” Judy wonders

“Yeah that was a little weird. Actually, it was a lot of weird. I guess we do just naturally attract trouble and weirdness. And if you somehow become the godmother of another dangerous animal’s grandchild, something is definitely up. Once is a coincidence, but twice is a pattern. I mean I certainly wouldn’t mind. Mr. Big considers us family, and I would certainly appreciate a pack of former mercenaries looking out for us as well.” Nick says earnestly. Being under the protection of a crime lord had its benefits. The criminal underbelly of the city knew not to lightly target Judy and him with the Big family empire dissuading any mammal from trying.

Both of them notice the rows of towering buildings giving way to open space with a large ornate building at the center and crowds gathered out front. At a quick glance, it looks like several hundred mammals have gathered for the historic arrival. Several dozen police officers could be seen corralling them around and keeping the situation under control. Over the sea of heads, makeshift signs could be sign. Each side of the table was visible on them.

_Slime skins aren’t welcome_

_Fur and scale will be friends_

_Only warm blood can love_

_No more fear, no more Bellweathers_

_Don’t trust the forked tongues_

From the looks of it the crowd was split, with neither side having a noticeable majority. Driving through the section of the police line that was cordoned off from the public, Nick spots a familiar grey wolf and tigress. They are wearing chest armor over their police blues, but everything else looks normal about them. Officers Wolford and Fangmeyer are there to great Judy and him when they step out of their cruiser.

“Hey Stripes, what’s the weather like out here?” Nick directs at the tigress. She slightly smiles at a friendly face but then becomes serious once again.

“Nothing more than shouting and chanting so far,” Nadine huffs, “But that might change with the ambassador’s arrival. Most of the mammals against this are just afraid of change and can be calmed down, but there are some flat out specists who might cause problems. Ralph and I have our riot gear in the cruiser in case things start to go south.”

None of this surprises Nick. All change, whether it is good or bad, requires some amount of growing pains for animals to get used to it. And specism seems to always survive no matter how many good animals try to squash it into oblivion. He’s pulled from his assessment by Ralph asking him a question.

“So you guys have already met the reptiles right? What were they like? Were there any snakes, because apparently they make Nadine squeamish.” the wolf asks.

“Look it’s just weird to me that they’re just a head and a really long tail! And that tongue flick thing is freaky! Oh- no offense…” Nadine suddenly trails off, speaking to someone behind Nick. He turns around just in time to see Monty and the others stepping(slithering) out of the cars.

“Ehh, none taken tiger lady.” Monty lazily says with what Nick assumes is a content smile, “And the tongue thing is so I can smell. It’s also not just a snake thing, some lizards do it as well.”

“Wait that’s how you-” Ralph starts, but is cut off by Samantha.

“Alright that’s enough chatter. You can all have a reptile physiology lesson later. And yes, I am a rabbit and I am part of this diplomatic mission. So don’t give me those looks officers.” she says, the last part directed at Nadine and Ralph who were gawking at the mammal that had stepped out in front of them. Apparently the doe was used to this kind of reaction. Both mammals close their muzzles but seem to be at a loss for words.

“So which one of you is the ambassador?” Nadine eventually asks the group with eyes darting between them all.

“That would be me officers.” Lendys says as he steps out from the middle car, his voice and presence causing all mammals excluding Samantha to stiffen. Nick can’t help but humor himself at that.

_That’s definitely going to take some getting used to…_

“In that case, I’ll tell you all the procedure for your speech.” Nadine starts with more confidence to her after her surprise had worn off. “You, two of your guards, and Officers Hopps and Wilde will approach the podium where you will be speaking. You will be greeted by Mayor Lunos and then take position in front of the microphones. Your guards will stand on either side of you while Officers Hopps and Wilde will stand at the outer edges. You will then give whatever speech you have prepared, and then head into city hall to begin discussing lawmaking with the mayor and the council. The rest of your entourage is free to stand nearby except while the discussions are happening.” she explains. With the formality out of the way, she then speaks more quietly and personally to the group. “And if at any point you feel threatened by the crowd, you can step away from the podium. We won’t let anything happen to you sir.”

The irony causes Monty to make a sound that seems like it’s halfway between a snicker and a hiss. The small crocodile, Kima, elbow jabs him in his side to get him to shut his maw, while the wolf and tigress look at the display in confusion.

“Did I say something funny?” Nadine asks.

Samantha shakes her head and answers her. “Nothing you need to be worried about, just an inside joke and some unprofessionalism.” she responds. Then she turns to the reptiles to give out orders. “Rico and Cyrus, go with Lendys to the podium. Everyone else on me. I don’t want any spooked mammals being used as ammunition against us, so don’t intervene unless you need to. Let’s get this show on the road everyone.” she announces.

With that, the group starts moving towards the raised platform in front of the crowd. Rico and Nick are standing to Lendys’ left, while Cyrus and Judy are standing to his right. Once mammals start noticing them, loud voices can be heard. Some are cheers of approval, while others are yells of anger. A few voices yelling “Traitor!” can be heard, most likely aimed at Samantha. Nadine, Ralph, and the rest of the escort stop and stand back while the group of five continue forward.

There to greet them before the podium stands the newest mayor Johnathon Lunos, an elderly black timber wolf. After Bellweather was revealed, the political scene in Zootopia was utter chaos. Politicians were jockeying for power after the second vacuum had been left, and many predators were on the verge of rioting after being targeted by Bellweather and the prey population eating up the propaganda. In a move that is extremely rare but never bodes well for their enemies, all of the wolf packs banded together to use their ties and power to stabilize the city from diving muzzle first into riots and violence. Together they agreed to push forward the level-headed and charismatic alpha from the Lunos pack as a candidate for mayor to calm the groups of aggravated predators and to mend relations. Prey feeling betrayed by one of their own after their fear had been used and several endorsements from well respected mammals allowed a moderately easy victory for the wolf.

Standing next to him, Lendys appears to have a couple feet on Mayor Lunos. But it does not seem to phase him as he extends a paw with a genuine smile on his face. Lendys extends his own hand to take his paw and they shake firmly.

“An honor to meet you Mayor Lunos.”

“And to you as well Ambassador Sunda. I hope my city has been hospitable to you and your escort.”

“A little gawking but nothing negative so far. We will see after I introduce myself to them.”

The mayor simply nods his head and steps back to allow Lendys to take the podium. The five of them walk up to take their positions in front of the crowd. Rico, Judy, and Nick hold their arms behind them while Cyrus circles himself a few times to form a spiral that he sticks out from the center of. In front of them are at least a dozen police officers standing behind interlocking low metal separators. Beyond them is the large crowd of mammals and several elevated stands for the news crews.

As Lendys clears his throat and prepares to begin speaking, Judy sees it coming. A rock a little larger than her head on course to hit the ambassador. It connects with Lendys’ left cheek and his head jerks to the right in reaction, but other than that he does not move. Everyone except for a few gasping mammals from the crowd falls silent as they drink in what just happened.

Judy starts to move to try and find the perpetrator but is stopped by Cyrus holding his tail up in front of her.

“Don’t” is all he whispers, without even looking at her. Reluctantly she ceases and settles with scanning the crowd for whoever might have thrown the projectile.  But any hope of that is lost when she realizes the sea of faces are giving away nothing that might point her in the right direction. With nothing to go off of, she turns her attention back to the ambassador to see what he does.

Without speaking, his head slowly swivels back towards the crowd with no emotion portrayed on his face. Then, he begins to speak with a neutral tone that somehow still carries a sense of authority.

“Good afternoon citizens of Zootopia. It is an honor, and a pleasure to be here so that I may represent my people. My name is Lendys Sunda, and I am the ambassador for the nation of Saurrex. As I understand it, many of you have at best mixed feelings about reptilians being allowed into your city. And I want to tell you that I understand. In my homeland there are no mammals such as yourselves. No mammals there to set the record straight and to disprove rumors. Mothers tell their children boogeyman stories about you so that they do their chores and behave. They are told not to trust you because you are not us. How could mammals possibly understand what it means to be a reptile? And I assume it is similar with the city of Zootopia. None of my people are with you, so you do not know the truth about them. So let me be the beginning of the truths. Our hides do not exude ooze, rather they are dry and smooth. Most reptilians do birth our young in eggs, but not all. Our blood is not naturally cold, rather we are not capable of warming or cooling our own bodies and rely on the sun and shade to do so. Reptiles are very much capable of feeling love and happiness. I myself love my wife and children with all of my heart. And for any of you that might believe we would have ill intentions for your city, I assure you that all I wish to do is bridge the gap between us. Many of my own have voiced their wishes to see your city, your culture, and your way of life. They wish to sate their wanderlust and to see a different world that they do not know. And there may be those among you that wish to visit Saurrex in return. To you I say my homeland will welcome you with open arms and warm hospitality. And I promise you, they will not throw rocks. Thank you for your time and consideration.” Lendys finishes as the roar of the crowd and the snapping of cameras return. He turns to walk towards city hall and is joined by Mayor Lunos along with other political figures.

Rico and Cyrus fall in line with the rest of their group, who are then followed by Judy and Nick not wanting to be left standing and falling behind. As they are walking, Judy hears Mayor Lunos apologizing to Lendys.

“Short and sweet huh? And I am extremely sorry about my citizens becoming violent like that. Tensions have been high ever since the former mayor was removed from office and imprisoned. The same issue in a different way is striking a cord in some of them and they are lashing out.” he says while slightly taking the standard submissive form among wolves.

“I said what I needed to say and I do not like to waste time by speaking empty words. And do not worry about it Mr. Mayor, I will not blame all for the actions of the few. And I have had worse than a rock thrown at me in my time.” Lendys responds.

“It still does not excuse their poor behavior. And please, call me John in private. Most of the politicians I know would react poorly to much less than a rock being thrown at them, so you seem like the animal I’d like to get to know and have a drink with.” the old alpha says humorously.

“I suppose I should ask you to call me Lendys in return then. And I think I will take you up on that drink offer once this business is all taken care of as celebration.” Lendys says. While his statement seems sincere, his voice somehow still sounds neutral and emotionless. Nick is beginning to notice a pattern in his personality that is similar to a certain water buffalo, but even more emotionless. Now he wonders if the reptile also has a marshmallow center, though he doesn’t feel as confident teasing him as he does with Bogo.

“I’ll hold you to that Lendys. But anyhow if you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the discussion chambers. Before I was afraid about ‘throwing you to the wolves’, but now I’m much more confident you can hold your own. Your entourage will have to wait outside. There are some tables nearby the door they can wait at, and I’ll have someone bring them coffee and something to eat.” the mayor says, signaling a female antelope and a bull to run the errand.

“Understandable. I expect them to be on their best behavior while we are guests here.” Lendys says while glaring at the other reptiles. Rico begins to give a quip but is silenced by Samantha also giving him a glare. Nick notices the diffused crocodile and can’t help but feel sympathy for the giant reptile.

**_I know how you feel buddy._** **_They’re vicious…_**

Nick also notices that Jack and Skye had rejoined the group but can’t remember for the life of him when they did it. It was a special agent trick the two of them liked to use to mess with Judy and him.

“You guys need to show me how to do that at some point.” he says to them as they walk.

“Sorry Nick, but we can’t allow such power to fall into the wrong paws. Yours specifically.” Skye remarks.

Soon enough both Lendys and Mayor Lunos are walking through the chamber doors while the rest of them have seated themselves at the before mentioned tables. Varying seats and stools are present to accommodate any species that might be seated. The crow, Percy, decides to perch on Rico’s shoulder while the gecko, Louis, sits on the edge of the table. Both of the serpents climb up a couple of the wider stools and spiral themselves at the top. Eventually the antelope and bull returns, with the antelope holding a tray of coffee mugs, a coffee pot, and a few bottles of water while the bull carries a tray with a few salads and a stack of what looks like a mix of tuna and bug meat sandwiches. The bull seems to be wary while the antelope acts nervous around the reptiles, almost jumping out of her fur when Monty looks at her and his tongue flicks out. The two of them hurry off once their job is done.

After everyone begins helping themselves to the food and drinks, Samantha addresses the rabbits and foxes. “So now that we have a second to breath you might as well ask some of the questions you’ve been storing up. We won’t be allowed to answer everything but we’ll answer what we can.” she says while munching on some of the salad.

Jack is the first one to pipe up. “How did you all go from mercenaries to government agents”

“Classified, but I’ll say that we chose a side at one point and our side won.” Samantha answers. Whatever the answer means to Jack, it satisfies his curiosity since he doesn’t push the issue.

Judy is the next to have a question. “So Samantha, I actually think I may have heard your name before. There’s this old story of a young doe in Bunnyburrow who-” she starts but is suddenly cut off by Samantha.

“Pass” she says sternly with a deep frown and in a warning voice.

“Oh… but I was just-” Judy tries once more in an innocent manner but is again cut off.

“ **Pass** ” Samantha says again through gritted teeth. Her posture is tense and daring Judy to try and get an answer out of her a third time. Judy and Nick see Rico rapidly shaking his head side to side with his eyes wide while the other reptiles look ready to duck for cover. The Savages seem ready to spring to action in case the situation rapidly escalates. Nick takes the hints and decides to change the subject.

“Okay I have a question for you. What was that ‘path of the shield’ thing you were talking about earlier?” he asks while trying to lean in front of Judy to hopefully get the doe’s attention. The tension and frustration from whatever Judy’s question had brought about seems to drain away from her and she regains her composure.

“That, I can answer.” Samantha says, seeming to want to put the awkward moment behind them, “The short version is it’s a caste system that’s a cultural hold over from reptile society. But really it’s a bit more complicated than that. Back in the old days of reptile society, a kid’s future was decided in their later teenage years. Whatever they were good at, they took varying tests and were assigned to the corresponding path. They were then assigned to a mentor to learn from and eventually performed their part to benefit reptile society. The natural fighters for example followed the path of the shield. They became the guards, soldiers, and mercenaries of the reptile world. The path of the sun was for the farmers, the path of the crown was for the ruling class, the path of the sea was for the fishermen and sailors, the path of the coin was for the merchants, the path of the castle was for the architects and builders, so on and so forth until everyone had something to do.” Samantha explains with a little bit of theatrics to her voice.

“So what path would a hustler and conman be assigned then?” Nick asks, his interest peaked in this different world.

“Technically…” Samantha says as she thinks of what the right answer would be. “path of the coin. The reason being that reptiles thought that if you were dumb enough to be tricked out of your money, you didn’t deserve to keep the money. Gotta keep in mind that the entire point of them making this system was to make their nation as powerful and resilient as possible. If someone could argue that they were helpful in a way, then the guards couldn’t touch them because the old bloods would stand by their side. But outright crime and violence was still outlawed, so banditry and other common crimes were still punished and branded under the path of the shroud. Both because criminals tended to act under the cover of darkness and because most of them ended up in a casket with a shroud covering them. You actually might have liked it Officer Hopps. Nowadays if you decided you wanted to be a cop and showed you were willing to put in the effort, then it is a criminal offense for someone to stop you just because of your species. If you accuse someone of doing so then it goes to court and they rule in favor of the path system. Wouldn’t have to expose two mayors to receive proper recognition then.”

“I don’t mind. It’s how I met Nick after all.” Judy says while hugging Nick’s side with one arm. The she remembers that these are strangers and she meant to try keep their relationship on the down low from them. “I mean… we make a great team and he’s a great police officer.”

The reptiles laugh at this, confusing Judy. “Don’t bother Judy, we’ve seen the reports on you two and can connect the dots. Also I am a rabbit, so I know a doe’s mark when I smell one. That goes for you as well Mr. Savage, so wipe that smug grin off your face.” Samantha says.

Jack, who was grinning at Judy’s embarrassment, nonchalantly shrugs. “I regret nothing, especially marrying a beautiful vixen. And now that I think of it, what is the state of interspecies relationships in Saurrex Ms. Bounds? Here in Zootopia it is a hot topic and debated issue.” he asks while being practically glued to Skye.

“As long as it doesn’t interrupt their paths, no one really cares. That’s pretty much their view on everything. Nowadays it’s more like a really rigorous guidance counselor that also puts you through a bunch of tests. But you don’t **have** to follow the path if you don’t want to. You’ll have a hard time getting hired but you aren’t forced to follow the path anymore. Even the reptiles that aren’t really good at anything are given a path that’s in high demand so that they can get hired.

“What if someone decides they want a different career later in life? Say someone is a mechanic and they suddenly want to be a special agent?” asks Skye.

“Then they’d be going from the path of the cog to the path of the shield. Said animal would have to take the tests for the path of the shield to show that they were capable of the different path, but it can be done.” Samantha manages to get out through bites of salad.

Monty pipes in after swallowing a sandwich in one bite. “Cyrus actually did something like that. He has royal blood or something so he grew up being groomed for the path of the crown. In the modern world the path of the crown is for the politicians and elected leaders. But for some reason he decided to fight for a living instead of just telling others what to do. Pretty stupid if you ask me.”

Cyrus defends himself with a pompous tone. “I will remind you Monty that my family carries the blood of the mighty Vasuki, therefore we are predestined to be lords of all serpent kind. Every single member of my family is born with ambition in their hearts and the capability of greatness. I merely decided later on in life that my destiny was not in leading, but rather in purging the world of its malcontents and personally protecting those that cannot protect themselves. Besides I have plenty of siblings that are more than happy to laze about and be praised.”

A snickering Kima gets the attention of the group. “Yeah right Cyrus. You just read way too many comic books as a teenager and wanted to be a superhero crimefighter.”

“There is nothing wrong with having role models!” Cyrus angrily hisses back. The rest of the mercenaries laugh at what appears to be a common back and forth between a few of them.

“So you all are part of the path of the shield thingy then?” Nick asks while sipping the coffee that he desperately needed right now to prevent a mental breakdown. He already figured what the answer was going to be, but it never hurt to check just in case.

“Actually no.” responds Samantha, “Path of the shield is one of the paths that have a couple levels to it. We all are part of the higher path, the path of the crown shield. What that means is that when we were tested, the examiners decided that we were good enough to take more rigorous tests and trials that are easily four times harder than the basic ones. If you pass, then you are accepted onto the path and are in higher demand. Crown shields are mostly government agents, bodyguards for politicians, and private military for very wealthy companies.

The crow, Percy, picking at one of the sandwiches catches Nick’s eye. “Your name was Percy, right?” he asks the crow. In return the avian simply nods his head. “What about you? Did you grow up with lizards or did you move to Saurrex later? I know you said the paths are accepting but I doubt they keep birds in mind when designing them.”

A moment passes as the bird simply stares at Nick with his beady eyes, seemingly staring into his soul and making Nick feel slightly uncomfortable. “I mean… you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I was just curious how a bird ended up with a bunch of reptiles is all.” he nervously says, trying to disarm whatever bomb he may have accidently triggered. He rubs the back of his head while he takes in the expressions of the reptiles, who seem to be curious how this plays out.

“I’m a bastard. That’s all you need to know about the why. My childhood was shit, so I decided to migrate somewhere else to try my luck. Ended up wandering aimlessly around Saurrex until Lendys found me by chance. I had partially gone insane from hunger so I thought he was about to eat me. Fought with everything I had left in me since momma taught me to never give up on living no matter how bad it gets. Apparently I amused him, because he decided to take me in and train me even though I hadn’t the faintest idea how to win a fight. He was a great teacher too, because in three years I passed the crown shield trials. Been by his side ever since.”

“So you met Lendys by pure chance then.” Jack says, “What about the rest of you? How did you all come together?”

“Bar fight” says Kima with no hint of shame.

“I thought I was hot shit so I picked a fight with Lendys.” chuckles Rico, “Kicked my ass in three seconds, then offered me a job.”

“I was indulging in some vigilante heroism to stop a purse snatcher. I was nearly stabbed and killed, but Lendys came from the shadows and saved my life. He offered to teach me how to actually bring down an opponent.” Cyrus adds while holding himself high.

“He was the only one who humored a gecko attempting the trials of the shield when even I didn’t think I could do it. Smacked me around until I actually believed I could do it.” says Louis

“Was going through dark times and I was trying to commit suicide on a bridge when he found me.” Monty says, still wearing his content smile. “Stopped me in the middle of it and started yelling at me. I was pissed at him for butting into my business so I attacked him. He could have easily defended himself and beaten me, but he just let me have free reign and I started to constrict him. I saw he was willing to let it happen and it just broke me. Started wailing and freaking out, and he just let me do it while wrapped around him. Later he talked some sense into me and changed my outlook. Made me promise him I’d always have something to be happy about. And if I didn’t have something I’d go and find something.”

All eyes turn to Samantha, but no one dares to ask out of fear from her earlier reaction. She leans forward and sighs in annoyance. She begins drumming her left paw on the table and thinks for a few moments.

“Well geez if everyone is getting all mushy about it then I guess I might be willing to share. But on one condition Officer Hopps. Later I’ll make a bet with you, and if you win that bet then I’ll spill my guts. Not gonna tell you what the bet is right now though. These dumbasses know my life story because I’ve known them for years and spilt blood with them. Both mine and others. I’ve known you for about an hour, so excuse me for throwing up some walls.” Samantha says.

Judy nods her head in acceptance and sends a warm smile to Samantha. “I understand, I’m sorry if I was prying.”

“Eh no big deal, it’s just a touchy subject for me. Not gonna fault you for stepping on a landmine when you didn’t know it was there. Anything else you four want to know?”

“I actually have another question.” responds Skye, “You said that all of you are crown shields. Does that include Lendys? I would imagine he easily qualifies if he trained several of you.”

The band of misfits quickly look at one another and seem to have a silent conversation. Being the de facto leader, Samantha responds in a hushed voice, looking for anyone nearby that might overhear.

“Since you’re going to be working with us there’s something you should know. But I need you all to swear that you won’t repeat what I’m going to tell you to a single soul. Not even your superiors. This is valuable intel and it will piss off a bunch of high ranking reptiles if it gets in the wrong hands. Swear to me under a warm sun and cool stone that you won’t repeat it unless given permission.”

The four mammals have a moment of trepidation at being asked to take a literal under what they assume to be important words to reptiles. After a few seconds of exchanging their own silent discussions, one by one they begin repeating the oath told to them word for word. Nick decides to hold up his hand in a scout fashion to fully seal his lips.

“Alright then.” Samantha starts, then checking once again for any eavesdroppers. “I told you that there were two tiers to the path of the shield. But actually, there is a third one that is a closely guarded secret. It is referred to as the path of the scale shield, and has an extremely exclusive membership. At the moment there are currently six of them, Lendys being one of them. These reptiles aren’t just members because they are the best of the best in regards to combat skill. They are also selected for their frightening intelligence and undying loyalty to all of reptile kind and Saurrex. The reason being that they have **absolute** authority in Saurrex. They cannot break the law, because they are the highest form of the law. If they do something, it is because it is for the greater good of the nation. Even the highest reigning political figures know they must bend the knee to them and differ to their judgement. If one of them decides on war, then Saurrex **marches** without question.”

Nick feels the blood drain from his face after hearing how much worse the situation is than he thought it was. Not only is the komodo dragon extremely dangerous, he has the power of an entire nation at his disposal. He looks over to see Jack and Skye deep in contemplation over the new intel they were just given, and probably how it changes their game plans. When he looks over to Judy, he is worried but not surprised at what he says. Her face is filled with wonder and awe at what probably sounds like something straight out of a movie. Forget stepping through a minefield with this bunch, he’s risking setting off bombs with every step.

“But don’t worry about that too much. Ever since Lendys became an ambassador he’ll only kick someone’s butt in self-defense. The only way to really get him pissed is to threaten his family. But oh man, may Tick-Tock have mercy on those who do, for Lendys will not.” Rico comforts.

* * *

 

 

**_Off in a decrepit and near-deserted alley in Zootopia, two mammals are discussing with one another. One is a well-dressed panther holding a paper bag, the other a poorly dressed sun bear with holes in his clothes._ **

“Well done sir.” chillingly says the panther, “You were paid to simply throw the rock to try and instigate a reaction, but my employers decided to add a bonus for nailing the lizard in the face. It’s too bad he didn’t seem to care.”

“Whatever dude, just hand over the cash. I did it for the money so I can buy my next few hits. Not so I can be praised for assaulting someone.” the bear says while scratching his arm nervously and glancing about for prying his eyes.

“Fair enough, hear is your payment as agreed.” The panther says as he hands the paper bag over. Barely wasting a millisecond, the bear has grabbed the bag and is walking away from the panther. Waiting a few seconds for the bear to make some ground, the panther suddenly pulls out a silenced pawgun and quickly shoots the bear several times in the back. The shots are too well placed for the ursine to have time to react and shout out in pain, and is soon enough lifeless.

“Sorry friend, but I was told not to leave loose ends. And I just couldn’t risk you telling someone about our little agreement.” the panther apologizes to the now dead mammal. Suddenly two figures appear from the shadows and begin to take the body away and clear the scene of any signs of the murder.

“Ugh, I suppose we’ll just have to try harder next time.” The panther says to no one but himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got to share a tiny bit of the backstory for several of my OCs and I feel so happy getting to flesh them out in words instead of just in my head! The suicidal Monty I made up on the spot, and I apologize if anyone was offended by it in any way. I've experienced my own bouts of depression, but nothing that serious.
> 
> Also can you tell that I was making up the path system as I went? I knew that I wanted to do the multiple tiers and the basic concept of it being a caste system, but everything else was me flying by the seam of my pants. And I'm sure it will become more complicated as I make more of this fictional culture up!


	5. Hospitality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So I was doing some research and learned that Filipino architecture is a mixture of Latin and eastern Asian culture. It was very beautiful in my opinion and I did my best to try and describe the motifs. Explaining how something looks is harder than I thought though...
> 
> Also I happened to stumble upon a video that happens to feature our two serpents and gives some interesting information about them. So I thought it would be fun to share it. I'll warn you all now that you might not want to watch the ending if you're not too fond of a snake swallowing other animals whole.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP5Ro3oy-ec
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Zootopia or any of its intellectual property.

Following what felt like an eternity of the group chatting and swapping stories after Samantha and the others had trusted them with a chilling secret, the doors to the discussion halls opened to reveal several well-dressed mammals stepping out and dispersing to handle whatever business they each had. Some were exchanging murmurs about whatever had been discussed, but none of them appeared to be frustrated or disheveled. Following them after a time were Mayor Lunos and Lendys walking out together. Judy could not tell what was said at this distance and with all of the background interference, but it appeared that they both gave their farewells and went their separate ways. The mayor was immediately swarmed by aides and other politicians who also avoided the imposing komodo like the plague. As Lendys approaches the group, Rico bellows out to him with eagerness in his voice as he leans back into his seat with his right arm thrown over it.

“So how’d it go in there? Are they gonna play nice with us or do we got some proving to do for them?”

Lendys takes an available seat and answers after he begins munching on a sandwich. “As it currently stands we have majority, but only barely. Most of the naysayers are just trying to gain the support of the groups against this for their own personal gain. None of them seemed to have any personal resistance, so they should fall in line if the citizens decide to accept us.”

Kima throws her snout up and releases an echoing laugh into the hall. “Hehehehe, in that case we just need to show them that you’re actually a gentle giant boss. Maybe get you an apron so you can bake a bunch of cookies and hand them out. I’m sure they wouldn’t be afraid of us nearly as much after that.”

“Maybe after you take an oath of sobriety Kima.” Cyrus says as he turns his head away and waves his tail in front of him in a clear-the-air motion.

“Hey leave the alcohol out of this. Don’t make it personal Sir Snooty.” Kima replies with a frown and a claw pointed at the serpent.

“Enough.” cuts in Samantha, “We can discuss ways of improving our image later. Right now we need to drop our luggage and equipment off at the place we’re staying at. It’s starting to get late and I’m hungry for actual food right about now.”

“So what hotel did buffalo butt set you guys up in? You said it was fancy right?” Nick asks the doe with most of his suave back in his system. After spending some time with these animals and seeing how friendly they actually can be, he’s starting to feel more comfortable being around them. He expected them to be the emotionless secret agent type that you see in the cinema. The kind that sees other animals as expendable resources instead of living things. But these animals are more than happy to shoot the shit with you and have a good time. Lendys still makes him nervous though. Nick is going to need a lot more time to get used to the intimidating reptile.

“Uh, apparently some place called ‘Jewel of the Jungle’ in your rainforest district.” Samantha answers flippantly while looking through the file they were given.

Jack gives a long whistle of amazement in response. “That is a very prestigious place. I had several ops where the target was staying there in the past, and what I saw was quite amazing. They must be really trying to impress you if they set you up in there.”

“Well then it is a shame that we will not be staying there.” Lendys says after finishing his sandwich.

“Pardon?” Jack asks like he must have misheard.

“We’re not big fans of staying at hotels.” answers Samantha, “It’s an old habit of the job. Too many animals that might recognize us and too many directions and opportunities of attack. Also it would only be a matter of time before some mammal tells the news that we’re there and suddenly we’re swarmed.”

“So where are you staying then? You don’t happen to have a base of operations hidden away in the city do you?” Skye asks cautiously.

Samantha adopts a mischievous smirk on her muzzle. “We do, but that’s not where we’re staying. And no, we won’t tell you where it is.  As for where we’re actually staying at, we decided to subtly buy property here in Zootopia when we heard that this trip was happening. It’s a really nice place with plenty of space.”

“And it has a pool!” cuts in Rico.

“And it has a pool, which our two crocodiles have been obsessing about…” Samantha says in a huff.

“Hey pools are awesome Sammy. We can’t help that we’re crocodiles and we like swimming. Also Rico gets to see you in a swimsuit.” Kima says while elbowing Rico’s side, his maw splitting into a huge grin. He turns to look at the doe but shrinks down when he sees the glare from her that is burning a hole into him.

Once the crocodile is thoroughly pinned down, Samantha turns back to continue the conversation. “Anyways there’s plenty of space. Apparently it used to belong to that boxer Manny Packquiao, so it’s really high end. He was moving with his family to some far-off country to become a politician so he was trying to quickly sell it. Didn’t even bother to check who exactly was offering him a very large sum of money to take it off his paws with the furniture left behind. You four are welcome to stay with us while we’re here. I need new drinking friends since these guys are starting to repeat stories.

“That’s because you were there for most of the stories Sam.” Percy adds before continuing to peck at his food.

“Oh, well… if you’re offering then it would be rude to refuse them right Carrots? After all, the chief said to hang around them as much as possible. We’d just be doing our jobs!” Nick pleads to Judy with a ‘pretty please’ smile. While the two of them enjoy the cozy apartment they were sharing at the moment, you don’t pass up an opportunity to stay in a luxurious home when it is given. He even breaks out the kit eyes to seal the deal. The two of them had agreed that each of them was only allowed to use kit eyes on the other once a month, but dammit this was worth it to Nick.

Any resistance Judy was about to put up melts under his gaze. But just to put him back in his place, she socks him in his side before giving her answer. “Sure, we can do that. We have a spare change of clothes in our lockers so we can ride with you after we head back to Precinct One to report in and end our shift. And I haven’t had a sleepover in years, so this should be fun!”

Jack and Skye do a bit of conversing before deciding, whispering to the point that not even the does can make out what they’re saying. “We would also love to join you.” Jack announces, “I’m curious how those two will attract trouble this time and we could also use some relaxation after how busy our work has been lately.” he says. Skye then whispers something closely into his ear with a giggle. Whatever was said causes his posture to straighten like a board and his ears to pinken.

“Then it’s settled.” Samantha says as she hops out of her seat and stretches, “They’ll follow you over to the precinct and then you’ll all drive to the house. Louis go ahead and contact the hotel to let them know that we’re not coming, but that there’s a big tip in it for them if they make it seem like we actually are to everyone else. Monty and I will split off while you all head to the precinct to pick up the food and booze. I’m the least likely to cause the minimum-wage workers to freak out and cause a scene. C’mon move it before your scales begin to shed!”

Most of the reptiles whine and move slowly like teenagers being forced out of bed way too early, but they eventually follow the loud doe and begin trudging towards the front of city hall where their vehicles are. Upon exiting the building, Nick notices that the crowd has mostly dispersed after the main event was over while a few police officers stand guard over their vehicles. Judy and Nick give them a nod of recognition, and the officers begin heading to their own cruiser to finish their day. Their own group separates and heads to their respective vehicles. Two of the reptile’s cars follow Judy and Nick while the third splits off. As an extreme stroke of luck, the lights are green all the way to the precinct making their trip is smooth and quick.

After parking their cruiser in the motor pool, changing into their civilian clothes, ending their shift and saying goodbye Clawhauser, and then saying goodbye to Clawhauser again when he stopped them and tried to get information out of them, Judy and Nick walked out the front doors of the precinct and headed towards the others to meet back up with them.

“You two ready to go?” Rico asks them as he leans against the vehicle with his arms crossed, giving any passersby who stares a big toothy grin. They both nod, adjusting the duffle bags they are carrying that hold some overnight essentials. “Alright, your agent friends said they’d follow us in their own car.” he says, opening the backseat door for them. Inside of the car sitting on the opposite side of the backseat, Lendys is leaning back with his snout pointing up but an eye staring straight at the two of them. Nick suddenly realizes his miscalculation and hesitates at the open car he was about to climb into. Being around others and out in the open was one thing, but this was different.

Rico chuckles at his trepidation. “Don’t worry _amigos_ , he won’t bite. Biting is too messy. It is much easier and cleaner to crush.”

Nick can tell that the crocodile is fucking with them, but it doesn’t make this any easier. Judy pulling on his shirt gets his attention. She looks concerned when he turns to face her, probably more worried about him being afraid and out of his comfort zone than herself. Not wanting to make her any more distraught, he gathers a semi-genuine smile and climbs into the passenger seat. He makes sure to sit in the middle so that Judy would need to sit as far as possible from the komodo, even if he had to be the closer one to him. The seats look to be designed for large-sized animals with a few feet of leg room between the front and back seats, so there is plenty of room to be put between the two of them and him, which was a small comfort to the nervous fox. Judy hops into the space next to him and hands Nick the seatbelt to wrap over them. Cyrus can be seen sitting in the passenger seat. Rico closes the door behind her, and a moment later opens the driver door to get behind the wheel. After strapping himself in, he turns the ignition and opens a radio channel from the dash.

“We’re ready to roll Kima. Louis, go ahead and start looping the traffic cams.” Rico says into the radio.

“Do you want me to change the lights again Rico?” The voice of Louis asks.

“Might as well. Who knew that terrible traffic transcends kingdoms? Maybe that will be the common evil that unites mammals and reptiles.” Rico ponders. It suddenly clicks for the two mammals why their trip back to the precinct was so smooth.

“Wait, why do have access to our traffic cams and stoplights?” Judy asks using a professional tone of voice. Being off duty never stopped her before, it certainly wasn’t going to stop her now.

Rico releases the brake and begins to explain as he starts driving. “We told you Louis was our computer whiz, right? Well he can also be really sneaky when he wants to be. It’s pretty creepy to see him stick to walls and climb along them by the way. Anyways, when you two weren’t looking while we were at city hall, he crept off to gain access to the city’s systems. Your agent friends saw him but didn’t seem to care. I have absolutely no idea how he does it, but that gecko is a genius. Something about phantom connections that makes the computer thinks he’s there from miles away from his own computer. If you want to know more then ask him yourself. But be careful, he’ll put you to sleep or talk your ears off. And don’t worry, we promise not to abuse it **too** much. We just like being able to move quickly and erase our tracks.”

“Oh… well as long as you don’t use it to commit a crime.” Judy says, sounding like the wind was taken out of her sails. Nick could see the cogs turning in her head trying to find a law they were specifically violating. While there was most likely something criminal they had done, these weren’t the animals to try and arrest for something minor and harmless.

Silent minutes pass as they headed to their destination. The reptiles remained calm and quiet, Rico and Cyrus focusing on the road while Lendys switches between looking at the two mammals and staring off into space. Nick had decided to throw subtlety out the window and was wrapping his tail and an arm around Judy. He wasn’t quite sure if he was comforting Judy or himself. As for Judy, she was content to let Nick satisfy his protective instincts. Better now than when they were on patrol. Eventually Lendys is the one that breaks the silence.

“Officer Hopps.” he starts to get her attention.

His head is fully turned towards the two of them while his torso is still pointed forward. His eyes are honed in on where Judy would be, if Nick wasn’t doing his best to block his line of sight to her. Judy gently places a paw on Nick’s chest so that he would lean back and allow her to make eye contact with Lendys.

“I need to know if you will be a problem for my cause. Your record states that you are an outstanding officer and I believe it, but I have also seen your initial press conference. Whether you meant to or not, you jumped to conclusions and held prejudices that nearly brought your city to its knees and almost handed the keys over to that psychotic ewe. If you have questions about my past or about my home and its inhabitants, then bring them to me quietly and I will answer them. Because I will not hesitate to send you and your partner back to your superiors with nothing to show for it if you are not careful and bring the ire of this city down on us, even accidently. I have an **extremely** low tolerance for specism. So answer me honestly, do I need to worry about you?” he finishes.

Judy’s ears sag as she remembers those painful memories. They had haunted her for several weeks after that fateful day where she had betrayed her badge and turned the city on all of the predators of the city, including Nick. There were several nights where she could only fall asleep after becoming tired from sobbing to the point that her normally rude and loud neighbors were worried about her. Even to this day she is occasionally woken up by nightmares that her guilty conscious had conjured. She wishes that she could confidently say that she had corrected her prejudices. But her speaking without thinking of the consequences was what had initially started the mess. It took nearly losing her dream job and more importantly Nick to realize her hidden flaws and bias. She is pulled from looking at the floor by Nick’s paw on her shoulder and looks up to meet his gaze. He has comforted her many times whenever the memories and guilt were too much for her. Every time he has been there for her until she calmed down and was back to her normal self. Taking several moments to ponder Lendys’ question, she looks back to him and gives her answer.

“I want to say that it won’t happen again. That I won’t crumble under the pressure and let something slip that will make this harder for you. But I have to be honest and tell you that I’m not sure about myself. I might make another stupid mistake and betray you as well, but I really mean it when I say that I don’t want to. I want to help convince Zootopia to like you and your friends. And if I do end up making things worse for you, then I am really, really sorry and I hope that you’ll forgive me.” she says, beginning to sniffle at the end.

Lendys stares wide-eyed at the doe, the faintest hint of something passing across his face for a fraction of a second. Once it fades, he regains his composure and mumbles something to himself.  For a minute or two he looks forward and gives the two mammals time to collect themselves. Then he begins to speak without looking at the two of them.

“Very well then. I am content with that, and I appreciate your honesty. If you have any questions for me in return, now would be the time to ask them. I will be completely honest with you, since it would only be fair after you were open to me.”

Judy begins to think about what she wants to ask the mysterious reptile. There is a lot she wants to know, but how much is too much that might make her a liability?

“Are you really a scale shield?” Judy asks.

Lendys’ head snaps to Judy, checking to see if she understands the weight of what she just asked. A second later he looks to stare at Rico and Cyrus, who not-so-coincidently happened to have straight postures and were looking forward.

“Yes, it is true. And I will warn you now to not repeat that out in the open unless absolutely necessary. That is a last resort that I have never had to use, and do not plan to use.”

“How often is that kind of power used then? Wouldn’t it be common knowledge after it was first used?” The sorrow she was feeling a few minutes ago was vanishing. Now she was feeling curious about a different world and wanted to know more.

Lendys pulls a bottle of whiskey out to prepare for the lecture. He pours himself a glass, then offers the two mammals their own. Judy declines while Nick decides to take a glass, not wanting to refuse any hospitality. Lendys pours him a fair amount and they both begin to sip their liquor. “In the entire history of Saurrex and its foundation, the scale shields have stepped out of the shadows twice. Both times were to solve internal issues that did not involve the rest of the world. The first was to stop a surge of religious rebellion six centuries ago. The scale shields put an end to the fighting and death, but also ousted the ones that had oppressed the rebels and caused the unrest. They then lifted several trustworthy reptiles into power that would return Saurrex to a state of peace and quickly faded back into shadows. The other time was a century ago when a war between crime families in the city of Sidar got out of hand to the point that scale shields needed to step in. It took them two weeks to kill or capture the linchpins of it all and convince the rest to back down and agree on ending the feud. Both times the scale shields erased their tracks and had any witnesses of them swear to silence of their existence. Over time the rumors faded into myths and legends that no animal takes seriously.” Lendys explains.

His history lesson satisfies Judy’s curiosity about the scale shield’s origin. But there is something else she must know. Even if it provokes a bad response, it is her duty to try and learn the truth.

“Have you ever killed any Zootopians?” she stoically asks, falling into cop mode. Lendys stops mid drink and contemplates for a moment. He then polishes off his glass and sets it down before beginning to speak.

“We have had three contracts where the target was a Zootopian. But let me explain something to you about how we operated. We did not take just any contract and we did not care for the money.”

“I mean the money was nice boss. Had to pay for our toys and expenses somehow.” Rico adds.

“Rico.”

“Shutting up.”

Lendys pauses and continues once he is sure that the crocodile would be true to his word. “We only took contracts where the target was a harmful animal that orchestrated major crimes, ruining others to benefit themselves. Slavers, terrorists, drug lords, and any other burdens to the world that we were offered to eliminate. Most of our operations took place in Saurrex territory, but we went after foreign targets if we were given the opportunity and they were dangerous enough that they were worth the extra effort. I am curious Ms. Hopps, do the police records show any of our tracks?”

Judy ponders for a moment, thinking about any matches she had looked over. She knew for a fact that none of old files from decade they operated mentioned them or anything that might hint at them. So their targets must have ended up as cold cases. There were only a handful of those cases where the victim was a high-ranking criminal that would have ruffled enough fur to get a hit placed on them. Some could be ruled out since they were more tame crimes while others were ruled out because the assailants were very obviously mammal competitors that couldn’t be legally nailed down. Then she remembers looking over an odd case while training at the ZPA and decides to take a shot.

“Morhan Ivory. He was an elephant drug smuggler that was found dead in a warehouse filled with narcotics and deceased mammals armed to the teeth. His main product wasn’t worth much in Zootopia because of abundance and competition. But it shot up in value when sold in foreign countries. It was assumed that they had been taken down by one of their rivals but some things didn’t add up. For one thing, no mammal took credit for it until it went public and posers tried to get free street credit. And also the fight was too one-sided. Their killer’s entry and ambush were too clean and coordinated for drug dealers. Most of the mammals hadn’t even pulled out their guns when they were shot dead. Right now it’s obvious that it was you, but why?” Judy asks.

Her attention is grabbed by Rico laughing in the driver seat. “I like this one boss! She’s really smart, and she’s a little hellion like Sammy. Maybe we should try and steal them for ourselves!”

“I do not think that would be wise.” Cyrus adds, “They are too recognizable for the low profile we prefer. As for the why Ms. Hopps, Mr. Ivory was bringing the bulk of his product to Saurren buyers. Rather than try and deal with all of the branches of the tree in our territory, we took a contract to go for the **trunk.** Get it? Because he was an elephant?”

Rico dramatically shivers from the serpent’s pun. “I give you an A for effort your highness.” he mocks.

“I give an -A.” Nick says, “You gotta have faith your bad pun was understood, otherwise it looks like you have no confidence in it.”

Seeing Lendys accept Judy and her enjoying put the pieces of the puzzle together had calmed him down. The komodo was definitely odd to the tod, and he still needed to warm up to him some more. But at least now he knew that he seemed like the fair and honest type. As long as Nick played ball and didn’t snark too much, animals like that usually end up being on good terms with him. Now he just needed to hang out with these animals enough that they felt like just a few more hustler friends. Really dangerous hustler friends.

With half of the present party being critics, Cyrus huffs as much as a snake can huff and turns back to the road.

“Very good Ms. Hopps.” Lendys says while pouring another glass once the banter dies down, “That is our usual mode of operation, including for the other Zootopians we went after. We don’t care for subtlety unless it is specifically required. If we were actually worried about the ZPD and ZBI knowing about us being there, the warehouse would either have been spotless or levelled to the ground. The other two contracts were for a middlemammal in the old kitnapping trade and a weapons dealer, both ending with the same results.”

“What he’s trying to say is that we weren’t mindless killers.” Rico says, “We were killers with morals!”

More time passes as they slowly escape from the downtown area and reach the upper class suburban neighborhoods in the Meadowlands.  Eventually they reach an iron gate connected to a tall red brick wall. Rico rolls down his window and presents some sort of electronic ID badge to an automated device, causing the gate to clear out of the way of the two vehicles. Judy and Nick are awestruck by the homes and landscapes that they see once inside. The rolling hills are covered with a sea of vibrant grass, patches of well-maintained trees and shrubberies forming some sort of chaotic pattern to give a semblance of natural beauty close to home. Stone walking paths wind around the area for those wanting light outdoor exercise. Each residency seems to have its own personality with none of them forming a uniform pattern, as if each one was custom built to reflect the owner. Some are extremely modern, being made out of rectangular geometry while others have a classical theme to them. Eventually the two cars pull into the driveway of a very large homestead with painted-white walls and a sloped roof covered in red ceramic tiles. The windows are large and decorated, covered by sliding wooden panels. In the front is a garden filled with smooth swirled pebbles and several tropical plants and flowers spread out amongst them. At the corners of the building are ornate pillars built into the walls, with part of the home hanging over the driveway. A dark wooden fence wraps around the side of the home and presumably around a backyard.

Stepping out of the vehicle, Judy and Nick can’t help but stare at the beautiful home.

“Wow” Nick starts, “What do you guys plan to do with place once this whole thing is taken care of. Because I’d be more than happy to take it off your claws.”

Lendys steps by them carrying a few bags and suitcases, heading for the front door. “I have plans for it afterwards. But depending on how this goes, I do not think the future tenants would mind sharing.”

“It looks like Sammy and Monty haven’t arrived yet.” Rico says while carrying several more suitcases, “I hope they didn’t get in trouble just getting dinner.”

 

* * *

 

**_ten minutes earlier at a pizza parlor off of Oat Rd in Savannah Central_ **

“Dammit Monty, I told you to wait in the car!” Samantha yells at the serpent who just came through the front door of the parlor.

“Well I didn’t know how you were going to carry all of the boxes. And as funny as it would be to see you try, I don’t think the others want to eat road pizza.” Monty replies, not bothering to get his entire body through the door at the moment.

“I was going to have **him** help me.” Samantha responds while pointing at the very frightened and wide-eyed horse behind the counter.  “You know, so you **didn’t** have to get out of the car and freak out a bunch of mammals?!”

“Oh… sorry.” Monty says to the room. Samantha pinches her brow and begins to thump her foot in frustration. She looks up when she hears a door open and sees a small feline walk into the room.

“Hey Colt what’s going on? I leave for five minutes to use the restroom and you look like a deer in headlights when I come back. Oh cool, a snake!”

* * *

 

 

“They’re probably fine.” Kima says while carrying a bag twice her size Atlas style, “Just remembering how find their way through the city. The first time we came here it felt like a fucking maze.”

Judy and Nick follow the reptiles through the front door carrying their own bags. The door opens up to an entrance hallway that splits off into several rooms and a staircase in front them that takes up half of the path. On the left is a dining room the size of the bullpen that looks like it is connected to a modern kitchen. On the right is what looks like a study with a bare table and chair with empty bookcases behind it. In front of them is the main living with a vaulted ceiling. A U-shaped couch surrounds a thick wooden coffee table and is pointed at a large TV mounted on the wall. In the corner is a stone fireplace with a metal grate covering the pit. Unimportant knickknacks are spread throughout the rooms to fill in some of them empty space. Exploring further, the staircase and living room spreads into a few more hallways that leads to an assortment of bedrooms and bathrooms, one doorway on the first floor leading to a quite large training room with its own boxing ring and a full set of exercise equipment.

“Oh we are so using this!” Kima exclaims, becoming giddy at seeing the boxing ring.

True to Samantha’s word, the backdoor leads to a patio that overlooks a large grassy backyard with a pool that could easily fit almost a dozen elephants. An artificial rock formation leads up to a diving board that is suspended over a portion of the large pool.

Eventually as everyone is in the middle of unpacking, the front door can be heard opening. Going to see what the commotion is, Nick finds Samantha carrying bags with a mixture of alcohol and soda in them and Monty somehow balancing a tower of pizza boxes that vary in size on his slithering body. Rico and Kima who were lounging on some of the couches are helping put the food and drinks on the kitchen counter. Percy observes from above while perched on an old grandfather clock.

“What took you two so long, I was starting to think someone called the cops on you two or something?” The crow questions the doe.

“Don’t ask.” she answers while still looking forward. He decides to follow that order, knowing about her renowned short temper.

The aroma of the pizzas attracts the other animals that had dispersed throughout the house and soon everyone is divvying up their own fair share of the meal. Thankfully Samantha was wise enough to buy a mixture of vegetarian and mixed pizzas. Not that Judy or Jack would have minded since a bit of protein from bugmeat and fish has helped build up their muscle structure. It took a bit of guidance from their fox partners, but they eventually got used to the taste and texture. Most of the animals have a soft drink or water with their pizza, with Kima and Rico starting early on some of the beer bottles. Everyone disperses into their own little groups wherever there is somewhere to sit. The zootopians are gathered in the dining room when Samantha approaches them by herself.

“Mind if I join you all?”

“By all means.” Jack responds while waving his hand at an available seat. She eagerly takes it and sets down her plate and her non-caffeinated soda. The two other lagomorphs aren’t surprised by her drink choice, understanding not wanting to risk even a small amount of caffeine throwing them into hyperdrive.

“Thanks. Those idiots are family to me but sometimes I can only take so much of their antics. Ever since Lendys handed over leadership to me they’ve been a handful. But anyways, I hope you four managed to get settled in while I was gone. I think Rico would usually say ‘ _mi casa su casa’_ , or something like that.”

“Me and carrots are already unpacked.” Nick says, “It helps when all we brought were duffle bags with a bunch of clothes and basics in them. How did you guys even afford this? I could work for a century and still not even be close to affording this. And that includes the hustle money.”

“Well Lendys told me about your little chat pertaining to our preferred contracts. But that didn’t mean we worked for free. And we weren’t exactly cheap either. After a decade of taking on missions normally reserved for private militaries or government agencies, we built a pretty sizable cushion for any expenses we had. And it would have been a pain for the previous owner to take absolutely everything with him since he was moving across an ocean. So instead of him pawning off the larger stuff or giving it to friends, we met his asking price for the house and offered an extra twenty percent to leave the furniture and anything nonpersonal behind. That was about five months ago, and we’ve been keeping the utilities going and having it periodically cleaned in the meantime. And not to brag, but we’re not close to hurting for funds after it.” she says with a very bragging smirk.

“As for us, we are also settled in.” Skye adds, “Never leave home without our emergency kits. I hope you don’t mind us bringing our own firearms with us. We do trust you, but we also like a little bit of insurance.”

“Oh yeah don’t worry about it. I’m pretty sure the others have already hidden a dozen weapons in the house, so I understand having comfort guns.”

The discussion carries on for some time, Samantha relieved to have other mammals to talk to for once. They discuss anything and everything that comes up, ranging from movie tastes, to work, to takedown techniques. Judy is tempted to bring up the bet that Samantha had mentioned earlier but doesn’t want to risk setting the doe off again a second time. Judy decides that she is content to wait until she is ready to discuss is it since it seems like a touchy subject. Eventually Rico comes into the dining room, out of the suit he was wearing earlier and now sporting a grey T-shirt and long loose shorts.

“Hey Sammy, we’re gonna be doing some sparring in that boxing ring. Think our guests can take us?”

“Is that a challenge?” Judy asks with her arms crossed and eyebrows raised. The crocodile’s maw splits into a wide toothy grin that only an animal with a mouth as long as their head can do.

“Damn right it is _coneja_. I want a challenge out of the famed heroes of Zootopia and veteran special agents.”

“Rico if you want a challenge then I’ll spar with you. I’ve beaten you four times more than you’ve beaten me.” Samantha says mockingly while looking at the crocodile over her shoulder. Rico puts a hand over his heart and smiles at her in response.

“Sammy it is honor to lose to such a beautiful bunny. I am more than happy to have you kick my ass any day.” he replies and then walks away towards the training room. Samantha rolls her eyes at his flirting and looks back towards the other mammals, being caught off guard when she finds them all staring at her with odd expressions.

“What?”

“Not every day you see a ten-foot crocodile trying to win the affections of a rabbit.” Jack answers for the group, “While I don’t want you to think that I believe I know what’s good for you, I recommend at least keeping an open mind. From personal experience, it can work out very well.” Jack can’t help but give a tiny hop in his seat when he feels a familiar paw reach behind him and pinch his tail affectionately.

Samantha seems puzzled at first, but then realization at what the buck is saying dawns on her. “Oh. Ohhhhh! Oh no, you got it all wrong! I’m completely ears over paws for that doofus just as much as he is with me. We just don’t need a piece of paper or a convoluted ceremony to prove it to anyone. Knowing that we love each other works just fine for the two of us. We’ve been doing that back-and-forth for a decade and a half, and him and I have enjoyed every moment of it.”

“So why do you act like you aren’t mates and his advances are a nuisance?” Skye curiously asks. Pretending to not care seems like a foreign idea to her as a vixen. Pairing off for life meant that playing coy was risky since it might dissuade a proper tod, or buck in her case. She contemplates the thought of what it would be like to do the same with Jack, and immediately throws it out the metaphorical window. She loves the striped buck so much that she can’t help but be open with her love and devotion to him. Being playful is fine, but feigning disinterest feels like outright cruelty.

“Because where’s the fun in not making him work for it. Besides he knows that I love him. He just enjoys making a big show of trying to “woo” me so much that I don’t want to take it away from him. But we’re plenty affectionate in private. Crocodiles are surprisingly good cuddlers by the way.” she says while hopping down from her chair, presumably to get changed and join the other for sparring. “Well you city mammals coming or not? Hope you’re not afraid of a few ghost stories.”

Not ones to leave their pride wounded for long, Judy and Jack are already moving towards the rooms they had picked to stay in to get changed for the fun. Nick and Skye share a look, Nick mouthing “bunnies” to her and Skye nodding in agreement. They don’t dare say something audible at the risk of either of their partners hearing though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes that was indeed Zhanbao's Pizza Pals! I saw an opportunity to add his fun OCs and decided to write that bit on a whim. You can find his tumblr with this link to see his awesome work!
> 
> https://zhanbao.tumblr.com/
> 
> I've also decided to tack on some information about the species of my OCs at the end for anyone that was curious. The orinoco crocodile for example, derives its name from the Orinoco river system in Venezuela and is also known as the venezuelan crocodile. Rico is actually small for the average of an orinoco crocodile, but I had to guesstimate what a proper hide would be with reptiles becoming bipedal and how it affected their height. A large portion of reptile length is from their tail, but I added some height back from the tail shortening to allow them to properly stand and also their back legs adding to their height. They're snouts are much more narrower than other crocodiles, and their hide can range from almost albino to a mix of dark brown and tan. They are one of the larger species of crocodiles, but they aren't the largest.


End file.
